Former Soudal-QuickStep boss Patrick Lefevere has said that Remco Evenepoel might be better suited to the Classics than stage racing.
The veteran team manager, who retired at the end of the 2024 season, discussed his former team leader in a Het Laatste Nieuws roundtable discussion, with Evenepoel's racing priorities among the main topics of conversation.
During the winter, it had been rumoured that Evenepoel was considering racing Milan-San Remo and the Tour of Flanders this spring. However, he dismissed the idea of taking on those races earlier this year.
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Instead, Evenepoel, who has won the Vuelta a España and finished on the podium of the Tour de France, is currently racing the Volta a Catalunya.
Lefevere surprisingly drew a comparison with another of his former riders, Sylvain Chavanel, a French rider once hailed as a stage racing prospect. However, his biggest successes came in one-day races, including wins at Dwars door Vlaanderen and Brabantse Pijl.
"I had a good example in my own team: Sylvain Chavanel, a Frenchman. He was the new guy. He was supposed to win the Tour. He turned pro at 20. He gave it a go – he once finished in the top 10 [Chavanel's best Tour de France result was 19th – Ed].
"But what did he actually win? In truth, Sylvain was a one-day rider, as may well turn out to be the case with Remco, too."
Lefevere said that Evenepoel, who has won two editions of Liège-Bastogne-Liège, three of the Donostia Klasikoa, and one of Brabantse Pijl, "should have been in San Remo and should also have ridden Flanders or E3".
"I've told him once or twice, but well... He's so focussed – and you have to be if you want to perform.
"He's won the Vuelta, yes. But there are still two others out there. I've seen Jonas Vingegaard in action at Paris-Nice. I wish him good luck."
Evenepoel is targeting the Tour de France once again this year. He'll co-lead Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe with Florian Lipowitz in July as he aims to take on Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard once again.
Before then, the Ardennes Classics are on his calendar, while later in the year he'll head to Canada for the Road World Championships and a bid at a record-equalling fourth world time trial title as well as a second world road title.
Despite Evenepoel's current focus lying largely with stage racing, Lefevere said that he still has time to compete in other Classics.
"He's got time, hasn't he? He’s 26 now. If he gives himself another two years' chance to win the Tour," he said.
"Or then again… I think if everyone stays healthy, [Pogačar] and Vingegaard are going to be a very tough pair to beat. And he’s got competition within his own team as well. He didn’t use to have that."
