Remco Evenepoel fires back at the French just a few hours before the World Championships

Belgium is gearing up for the World Championships with two world-class riders, Remco Evenepoel and Wout van Aert. On the eve of the race, under the watchful eye of head coach Serge Pauwels, Evenepoel assessed his condition and, above all, the Belgian national team’s strategy, rejecting the idea that Belgium must necessarily take control of the race.

“My condition has improved. First in preparation for the time trial, and then I think I managed the last week well to be ready for Sunday. I’ve increased the amount of intense training, and yes, I’m ready,” explained Evenepoel, fresh off the Canadian races in Québec and Montréal.

The Belgian then responded to statements coming out of France, suggesting that his national team should be the one to carry the weight of the race. “The French say that every year, and then they’re the first to launch attacks on the circuit. I expect that to happen again. Paul Seixas is a great talent and an exceptional young man, but if he wants to become world champion, he has to break away from the pack and finish alone. In this scenario, it’s France that has to make the race tough, not us.”.

Evenepoel also feels he has an extra weapon today compared to the past: the sprint. “I’ve often won championships by finishing alone, like in Australia and at the Olympic Games, but over the past two years I’ve improved my sprint. I still prefer to finish alone—it’s more comfortable—but if that doesn’t happen, I know I have an extra option.”

The course, with nearly 4,000 meters of elevation gain, seems particularly suited to his strengths, but Remco by no means rules out Van Aert from the title race: “Looking purely at the elevation gain, the course favors my strengths, but we know how talented Wout is. On a great day, just like Mathieu van der Poel, he can become world champion.”

Among his most dangerous rivals, Evenepoel names Isaac Del Toro, Paul Seixas, Tom Pidcock, and Mathieu van der Poel. “Del Toro is very hard to beat in a sprint. Seixas can be dangerous if he manages to break away from the pack; I’ve seen Pidcock ride very strongly in the Canadian classics; and then there’s Van der Poel—if he’s in top form.”

It will also be crucial not to fall for his rivals’ provocations. “Philippe Gilbert is right: I have to stay calm. The fact that I’ve improved in the sprint gives me peace of mind. It’s not up to me to make a move or break up the pack, even if the others might be expecting exactly that. I can afford to read the situation from the back.”

This caution is also tied to the race’s length: “We’ll be on the bike for more than six and a half hours. We’ll need to manage the stress, stay calm, and have confidence in ourselves. The Tour de France helped me a lot in this regard: the further I went, the more I felt a sense of calm growing inside me.”