Cycling Star Evenepoel Slams Journalist’s Comments on Moroccan In-Laws

"In recent years, he (Remco Evenepoel) has involved his wife’s family a lot in his victories and performances. I’ve heard that he tries to take care of them. Is it necessary? It’s up to him to decide. I don’t think many of his colleagues act this way," said Ruben Van Gucht, one of Flanders’ most famous sports journalists, when asked about the Belgian cyclist’s return to competition during the show "De Afspraak" broadcast on VRT Canvas.

Seeking to understand his line of thought, another journalist present on set asked him if he was claiming that Evenepoel was supporting his in-laws. "That’s it. So we can say tomorrow that these are baseless rumors. I’m sharing a rumor that comes from inside the cycling world," Van Gucht replied. His intervention provoked a strong reaction from the Belgian cyclist. "I feel obliged to respond to Ruben Van Gucht’s absurd and disrespectful statements about my private life. He claimed that I support my wife’s family. Let’s be clear: this is completely absurd," he began in a long text published in his story Monday evening.

Evenepoel assures that his wife comes from a "well-off family. With parents who have built a wonderful life for their children through hard work and entrepreneurial spirit. Oumi was my neighbor. Her parents live barely 200 meters from me, in Schepdaal. Everyone who lives there knows they live in a beautiful villa. I have always been welcomed there with open arms. We’ve known each other since childhood. Long before there was talk of money, fame, or anything else. Her parents owe their fortune to no one. And certainly not to me."

The double Olympic champion wonders where the Flemish journalist gets his stories from. "Would you have trouble believing that a Moroccan family worked hard and is well-off?" questions the athlete, who in turn doesn’t hesitate to attack Ruben. "This says more about your limited worldview than about reality. The truth is simple: love, respect, and hard work have brought us where we are today. Not prejudices. Not gossip. And certainly not people who prefer to call themselves journalists but spread nonsense."

And to conclude: "[...] Maybe you should worry more about your own family, Ruben... Because we hear things too." The Belgian cyclist alludes to Van Gucht’s private life. During his appearance on the show Het huis, hosted by journalist and producer Eric Goens, in November 2024, he acknowledged that there were several women in his life and that he had an "open relationship" with his wife, Blanka Vlasic, former double world high jump champion.