Remco Evenepoel warned by Belgian teammate to steer clear of the cobbled chaos and the Sanremo climb fest
A tense spring of classics is underway, where teams fight for optimal positioning for hours on end. Evenepoel, the Belgian standout, has drawn attention for his potential participation in Milano-Sanremo, the Tour of Flanders, and Paris-Roubaix. Oliver Naesen, his compatriot, urges caution and suggests Evenepoel weigh the risks before racing these demanding races, the outcomes of which could be decided in the coming days.
Right away, Naesen draws a line between safety and ambition. He says, “I would definitely stay away from Paris–Roubaix. I’m a risk-averse rider who has probably had eleven really bad crashes in my career. More than half of those crashes were in Paris–Roubaix.” He notes that while Evenepoel is physically stronger, Naesen believes he is technically sharper. “He’ll probably crash in Roubaix anyway,” Naesen adds in an interview with Het Nieuwsblad.
Naesen, now 35, has competed against cycling greats like Peter Sagan and Greg van Avermaet, earning a reputation for his performance in the cobbled classics. Despite starting the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix 10 times, he finished in the Top 10 only three times, all of them seventh-place finishes at the Tour of Flanders, with a noteworthy second place at the 2019 Milan-San Remo.
Remarkably, Naesen has completed all 27 monuments he started, though crashes followed him on numerous occasions. In the 2017 Flanders, for instance, he and Sagan crashed on the Oude Kwaremont due to a tangle with crowd jackets. This illustrates how chaos and unpredictable variables can influence outcomes in these races, even when race leaders attempt to avoid the worst of the chaos.
On Milan-Sanremo specifically, Naesen explains his reasoning for staying away: the Cipressa and Imperia sections near the bullards create a high risk of crashes with large pelotons. He frames this as an “accepted risk” for a rider with many goals after the spring, but questions whether such risk is prudent for Evenepoel given his objectives later in the year. Naesen emphasizes Evenepoel’s caliber and his legitimate ambitions for Grand Tours like the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France, suggesting that pursuing spring classics might jeopardize those goals, especially with stars like Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogačar dominating the sport.
Even if safety weren’t the issue, Naesen argues that winning Sanremo remains extremely challenging. He notes that even a flawless lead-out and impeccable positioning on the Poggio has not guaranteed victory for Pogacar, and he insists that the climbs in Sanremo are not long enough for Evenepoel to make a decisive difference.
If Evenepoel were to target one spring classic, Naesen would recommend the Tour of Flanders. In Flanders, power and early acceleration can create a meaningful advantage far earlier than in Sanremo, where tactics and positioning tend to dominate. The race has grown less tactical in recent years as climbers like Pogacar and van der Poel make early withdrawals less impactful on the final outcome.
Naesen suggests that Evenepoel’s decision should hinge on Pogacar’s plans in the Ardennes. If Pogacar races Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Evenepoel would need an A-level preparation, potentially with a stage race like the Basque Country or Catalunya beforehand. If Pogacar doesn’t start Liège, Evenepoel could adopt a B-level preparation and still target the Tour of Flanders. In effect, Naesen argues that Evenepoel might be better off deferring the Giro d’Italia and focusing on the Tour de France to maximize spring success.
“I wouldn’t do the Giro—Europe’s May weather can be brutal. In Belgium, there’s a pressure that every race Remco rides and doesn’t win is a failure, and that’s a heavy burden. If he did the Giro, he would have to win, then go to the Tour. Pogacar can ride the Giro more casually, but Evenepoel shouldn’t imitate Pogacar’s approach,” Naesen concludes.
