Evenepoel Leaves the Door Open for Paris-Roubaix After Stunning Flanders Podium — "I Will Come Back for Sure"
Remco Evenepoel has refused to rule out a future appearance at Paris-Roubaix after his remarkable third place at the Tour of Flanders on Sunday, telling reporters in Oudenaarde that he is "leaving the door open" for cycling's most brutal cobbled Monument. The Belgian's comments came hours after he had cemented one of the most impressive one-day results of his career on his debut at De Ronde.
Evenepoel finished 1:11 behind winner Tadej Pogacar after being distanced on the Paterberg, the penultimate climb of the race, but then rode an extraordinary time-trial effort across the Flemish Ardennes to hold off Wout van Aert for third. The Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe leader said the result exceeded his own expectations and confirmed he would return to the Flemish cobbles in future seasons.
"This is a result that we were hoping for and dreaming of," Evenepoel said. "I will come back for sure. There is still headroom for improvement — I know I can get closer." When pressed on whether Paris-Roubaix could feature in his 2026 calendar, the 26-year-old was measured but notably did not shut the door. "It's really not on the schedule at the moment, but it can definitely be discussed. There hasn't been a real discussion yet, but it's not impossible either."
The post-race comments represent a significant shift in tone from earlier in the spring, when Evenepoel's camp had been firm that Roubaix was not part of the plan for 2026. His Flanders debut had been a closely guarded secret for weeks, with the Belgian even deleting his social media accounts to avoid the media frenzy that surrounded the announcement. Now, emboldened by his podium, he appears willing to at least entertain the idea of another cobbled adventure before the Ardennes.
Intriguingly, Evenepoel revealed that Mathieu van der Poel had personally raised the possibility of seeing him at Roubaix during a conversation after the race. "Mathieu said he'd like to see me there," Evenepoel smiled. "When Mathieu van der Poel tells you to ride Paris-Roubaix, you have to think about it."
Whether or not the Hell of the North materialises this spring, Evenepoel's Flanders ride has confirmed what many in the peloton already suspected: the double Olympic champion can compete at the very highest level on the cobbles. His ability to limit his losses on the steepest bergs and then recover with sustained power through the flat sections between them suggests a rider whose cobbled ceiling may be far higher than anyone — including Evenepoel himself — previously believed.
For now, the focus shifts to the Ardennes Classics, where Evenepoel will target all three races — Amstel Gold Race, Fleche Wallonne and Liege-Bastogne-Liege — before turning his attention to the Tour de France, where he will share GC leadership duties with Florian Lipowitz at Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe. But the seed of a cobbled future has been planted, and the peloton has been put on notice.