Evenepoel Pivots to Ardennes After Stunning Flanders Podium — Amstel, Flèche and Liège All on the Menu
Remco Evenepoel will turn his focus to the Ardennes Classics over the coming weeks after delivering one of the most remarkable results of his career with third place at the Tour of Flanders on Sunday. The Belgian, who had never raced the Ronde before, time-trialled his way solo across the Flemish Ardennes to finish behind Tadej Pogacar and Mads Pedersen, proving that his talent translates to the cobbled Classics in a way few had predicted.
With Paris-Roubaix looming on April 12, the question of whether Evenepoel might extend his cobbles adventure dominated the post-race conversation. The Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe rider was characteristically coy: "I'm leaving the door open," he said, before adding that "the chances are slim" and that no decision had been made within the team. Van der Poel himself reportedly encouraged Evenepoel to try Roubaix, adding fuel to the speculation.
What is certain is that Evenepoel's primary targets remain the three Ardennes Classics. The Amstel Gold Race on April 19 marks the start of a ten-day block that defines his spring, followed by Flèche Wallonne on April 22 and Liège-Bastogne-Liège on April 26. These are the races that suit Evenepoel's punchy climbing and time-trial power most naturally, and where he has historically been most competitive.
The Flanders performance will have given Evenepoel enormous confidence heading into the Ardennes. His ability to ride alone at threshold power for extended periods — the same quality that makes him a world-class time triallist — translated perfectly to the long, grinding hellingen of the Flemish course. On the shorter, steeper climbs of the Ardennes, that same engine becomes even more devastating. The Mur de Huy at Flèche Wallonne and the Côte de la Redoute at Liège are tailor-made for his explosive power.
Evenepoel will face fierce competition across all three races. Pogacar is expected to return to the Ardennes after Paris-Roubaix, while Tom Pidcock and Mattias Skjelmose are among the riders building specifically towards the hilly Classics. At Liège in particular, the presence of Vingegaard — should the Dane choose to race before his Giro d'Italia campaign — could add another layer of intrigue to the Doyenne.
"I will come back for sure," Evenepoel said of the cobbled Classics after his Flanders debut. "But now the focus shifts. The Ardennes is where I feel most at home, and after what happened on Sunday I know my legs are good enough to win. That is the objective — not just to be on the podium, but to win one of those three races."