De Cauwer says Evenepoel’s rocket start means little for Flanders: “Still searching for that one big moment”

Whenever Evenepoel is on a start list, Belgian cycling culture shifts up a gear — and with it comes pressure. Speaking to Sporza, reporter José De Cauwer tried to cool expectations after Evenepoel’s string of early-season victories. “We shouldn’t take what he’s doing for granted,” De Cauwer said.

The former rider also urged caution when it comes to Tour de France ambitions. Evenepoel is forcing these performances, and the way he’s doing it is impressive, De Cauwer argued — but that doesn’t guarantee he will be the outright best in July. “If someone is better than him, then he’s the second-best cyclist in the world. Is that a problem?” he asked.

Still, De Cauwer sounded optimistic about what he has seen so far. Evenepoel is 26 now, he said — more mature, and ready to get the very best out of himself. “If he stays clear of bad luck, we’ll see the best version of Evenepoel this season,” De Cauwer added.

Despite the competition at the top of the sport, the Tour de France remains the key objective for Evenepoel and his new team, De Cauwer believes. “Remco is still searching for that one big moment that we all want: getting closer to Pogačar in the Tour. I think everything is allowed to make way for that,” he said.

That is why the much-discussed Tour of Flanders doesn’t fit into a Tour-focused build-up, even if De Cauwer thinks Evenepoel has the qualities to play a role there. “Of course Remco has the capabilities to be a factor in Flanders — and we’d all love to see him do it,” he said.

According to De Cauwer, much of the noise comes from outside Evenepoel’s camp. “Rumours come from people who want to see it happen. And in this case, it’s the press that wants Remco to appear at the start of Flanders,” he said.

In the end, the 76-year-old hopes Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe stick to their original plan — even if the temptation grows, from the media or even from Evenepoel himself. “I hope they don’t give in to any hunger Remco might have. Plan A (the Tour) is the most important, and they’ll stick to that,” De Cauwer concluded.