‘I told him for years to do it, and he didn’t’ – Patrick Lefevere reacts to Remco Evenepoel’s first Tour of Flanders, when he failed to convince him at Soudal-QuickStep
When the former manager of the team Patrick Lefevere said that Remco Evenepoel finally makes his Tour of Flanders good for cycling, he could not realize if it was an offensive thing that failed to convince the Belgian star to do it before he left Soudal-QuickStep for Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe.
The German club created huge drama on Wednesday as it was confirmed that the rumors circulating on Tuesday night were no April Fools’ joke and that Evenepoel would start in Antwerp on Sunday.
According to many comments from the entire peloton, the Red Bull team bus was one of the busiest places after Wednesday’s race, although their top finisher was Laurence Pithie fifth, but also the VIP area was Lefevere.
The article continues below
At first, he didn’t want to talk about Evenepoel because he is no longer the rider of the team, which Lefevere spent more than 20 years before stepping down as CEO and is now a member of the honorary board, but he played football.
“I don’t care,” he said Cyclingnews after Wednesday’s race. “I told him for years to do it, and he didn’t. Now he’s gone from us, and he’s going to do it.
“That is, if it is true because it is still the first of April – maybe it is a fish. But, in fact, it would be good for cycling; he is the best rider in Belgium, you have no doubts about it.”
Red Bull responded to their secretary when reporters roamed the team bus at the end, denying Evenepoel’s involvement since the rumors first surfaced in December and refusing to comment on those rumors on Wednesday morning.
The latest racing news, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, straight to your inbox!
The manager and former coach of the Belgian national team Sven Vanthourenhout represented the opinion of the team, as he was part of the mystery of Evenepoel on December 27, but he remained calm when asked directly why it was kept public.
“I can’t say too much about that. It has already been announced that he is riding that race,” he said. Sporzabefore putting to sleep any suggestion that it was still an April Fool’s joke.
“We have been saying that if we add someone like Remco, it would only be a profit. And yes, that decision has been confirmed. So on Sunday, we will definitely be at the beginning with Remco Evenepoel.
“I certainly won’t comment [why it was denied]. I think that the desire, or shall we say desire, for Remco to be part of the Flemish classics of the year has always been there. But I’m very focused on the process leading up to the season.”
Gianni Vermeersch told the Belgian broadcaster after the race that Evenepoel was the biggest driver behind the plan to start in Flanders, saying, “Remco really wanted to ride, but I think the team wanted to wait a little longer. It happened at the last minute because – as far as I know – Remco kept bothering until they let him drive.”
Vanthourenhout confirmed some truth in this, saying how the team’s high performance at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, where they were among the strongest outfits and finished second to Tim van Dijke, played a key role in securing his participation.
“Like I said, I think … Remco saw what we did on opening weekend. And let’s just say that sparked something in him,” DS said.
“Although it was already on his mind before Sunday’s start, it was clear that it was. He said it certainly helped when he saw the team in action in recent weeks.”
Whether Evenepoel can compete with defending champion Tadej Pogačar, or three-time winner Mathieu van der Poel, is a different question, but Lefevere had faith in the rider he was able to take from his rapid success to a Grand Tour victory and two Monument victories.
“He will not be inferior to Van der Poel, Pogacar, or Van Aert. To win, of course, is not easy. Besides, if you are good, the fact that he has no experience in the Tour of Flanders however has no role,” he said to Het Laatste Nieuws.
“With Gianni Vermeersch, he has a – not to say bad – rascal on his side. A constant presence and a smart runner. Evenepoel could certainly use someone like that.”
Vanthourenhout was also more cautious about setting any big expectations before disappearing into the team bus and away from the microphones that surrounded him in Waregem.
“Oh, that’s something I can’t say,” he said, when asked if winning the first test was Evenepoel’s goal.
“I think we should see this as a kind of exploration. Although we all know the desire and desire of someone like Remco. But I think we should be careful about that, and as a group we see it more as a discovery.”
Get unlimited access to our unrivaled 2026 Spring Classics coverage with a Cyclingnews subscription. We’ll bring you the latest news, reports and analysis from some of the biggest races on the calendar, including Milan-San Remo, Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders. Find out more.
