Giro d'Italia 2026, pedal bigwig’s forfeit official
Just a few days after the presentation of the twenty-one stages of the Giro d’Italia 2026, the Corsa Rosa has to reckon with a forfeit announced on Wednesday by one of the big names of world cycling: Remco Evenepoel, the Olympic road and time trial champion as well as the world champion in the race against the clock, has in fact announced that he will not take part in the stage race that will start from Bulgaria on May 8. The Belgian rider, speaking to Eurosport, confirmed that he wants to focus on a few but definite goals, first and foremost that Tour de France that saw him finish in third place in 2024.
Evenepoel, who will race for Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe in 2026, explained that he did not want to take too many risks ahead of the Grand Boucle appointment scheduled for July: in addition to the Giro d’Italia, he will not even take part in one of his home monument classics, the Tour of Flanders, a race that has not yet seen him among the starters in past editions and will not see him entered in the season that is about to begin either. “The Tour de France is a very special race” Evenepoel said, confirming that it will be the race on French roads that will be the main goal of the year.
“Two years ago I achieved third place. With Lipowitz we will share the leadership, it will be the first time for me with this double captaincy. This team has a very strong mentality, they want to get to the top with both of us” added the 1999-born rider, who after growing up in Soudal Quick-Step (formerly Deceuninck) has chosen to change perspective for the continuation of his career, accepting the challenge of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, with which he will attempt ll’assault on the Tour after the 2024 podium and the bitterness of retirement, after fourteen stages, in the 2025 edition dominated by Tadej Pogacar.
Born in Aalst, East Flanders, on January 25, 2000, Remco Evenepoel has proven himself to be one of the most successful cyclists of recent years, despite his young age: he boasts two Olympic golds, set world titles and four European championship victories on his palmarès, distinguishing himself in both road and time trials. In 2022 he won Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the Vuelta a España, repeating himself at Liège the following year. He participated twice, without much luck, in the Giro d’Italia, withdrawing both in 2021 at the start of stage 18 and in 2023 at the start of stage 10.
