Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) is now strongly considering prioritising the Tour of Flanders and a Classics-heavy spring over a Giro–Tour double in 2026, according to Het Laatste Nieuws.
The Belgian’s choice is understood to hinge on persistent rumours that next year’s Giro d’Italia route will feature only one individual time trial, with a decision to follow the official presentation on 1 December and his new team’s December training camp.
Evenepoel, who joins Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe in 2026, has presented his incoming employer with two options. “At the moment, we have a plan A and a plan B on the table. The first includes a Classics campaign, the second the Giro,” he told HLN. That fork in the road has sharpened since Belgian media reported the Corsa Rosa is set to include a single ITT, albeit a long and flat effort of around 40 kilometres.
As reigning world time trial champion, Evenepoel has embraced the idea of a substantial solo test, calling it “tailor-made for me,” but he has also been explicit about wanting more.
After winning the Kristallen Fiets, he said of the Giro’s TT prospects: “The more, the better!” A solitary ITT would reduce the aggregate time-trial kilometres that typically underpin his GC strategy, in turn lowering the appeal of committing to a Giro–Tour double that already demands careful load management between May and July.
A shift toward the cobbles would set up a fantastic spring narrative, with a likely debut at the Tour of Flanders and a direct rivalry with Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck).
Evenepoel’s Monument pedigree is established at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, yet he has not started Flanders, where positioning, crosswinds and repeated high-torque efforts over the bergs reward different skills and risk profiles than a three-week GC build.
