Tom Dumoulin sees Tour of Flanders chance for Remco Evenepoel: ‘On the flat, he is impossible to follow’

Even though Evenepoel has never ridden a cobbled classic at elite level, the Belgian is immediately being seen as one of the contenders for Flanders’ Finest. Fellow Belgian Jan Bakelants even placed him on the same level as Wout van Aert, a rider who has been chasing this goal for years.

Dumoulin also expects a lot from the Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe rider. “Evenepoel is one of the best classics riders around. He does not win Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the Olympic road race and the world title for nothing.” The Dutchman therefore believes he can handle the violence of the cobbles as well. “Long, attritional races, that suits him.”

Dumoulin already sees plenty of strengths in Evenepoel that fit the demands of Flemish racing perfectly. “On the flat, he is impossible to follow. Give him a gap and you won’t bring him back, because he is aerodynamic and can push huge power.” There is a reason, after all, why the Belgian is a three-time world time trial champion.

The climbing in De Ronde should not be a problem for him either. “Among the classics riders, he is one of the best uphill.” Dumoulin does, of course, still rate one man above him in that department. “He may not climb quite as well as Pogačar, but being incredibly strong on the flat and more than capable on the climbs is a golden combination for the Tour of Flanders.”

Dumoulin does, however, also see some potential weak points for the debutant, especially when it comes to the cobbles and positioning. “He is not a bike handler like Van der Poel. That costs energy in De Ronde,” said the 2017 Giro d’Italia winner, referring to the endless twisting and turning that define Flemish classics like this one. “That will cost him a little more energy each time than it does Van der Poel and Pogačar.”

The Dutchman therefore does not expect Pogačar and Van der Poel to panic because of the Belgian’s late addition to the start list. “They’ll probably just like it.” One thing seems certain, though: Evenepoel’s presence should only add more spectacle to Sunday’s race. That alone is another reason to make sure the television is on in time.