Can anybody cease Tadej Pogačar? This would be the query on everybody’s lips on the fast-approaching Highway World Championships in Zürich. It’s onerous to look previous the Slovenian, the person who dominated the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France to such an extent that the query turned what number of levels would he win at each races slightly than might anybody problem.
One man who will likely be hoping to take action – and probably the person with the most effective alternative – is Remco Evenepoel of Belgium, who was confirmed to be main his nation on Tuesday.
Whereas he can have to take action with out Wout van Aert, with the Belgian out of the remainder of the season as a result of knee harm he sustained on the Vuelta a España, Evenepoel will begin because the second favorite behind Pogačar.
He won’t have the Grand Tour prowess of his Slovenian rival, however the Evenepoel is a severe risk in one-day races, significantly ones as hilly as Zürich will likely be; the final World Championships with a comparable quantity of climbing, Wollongong in 2022, was received by Evenepoel, after all. Simply final month, he crushed all on the Olympics within the highway race.
Liège-Bastogne-Liège, essentially the most related of the Monuments, has been received by both Pogačar or Evenepoel for the final 4 editions, with two apiece. Nevertheless, there has by no means been a duel between the pair on the race, with one all the time absent, so Zürich will present the chance.
Evenepoel can even hope to defend his time trial world title, on a lumpy course which ought to swimsuit him over the pure rouleurs like Filippo Ganna and Josh Tarling. Pogačar is likely to be a risk in that, too, if he rides.
The Belgian crew additionally contains Maxim Van Gils, Victor Campenaerts, Tim Wellens, Jasper Stuyven, Tiesj Benoot, Quinten Hermans and Laurens De Plus.
“All the crew will trip in help of Remco,” nationwide Group Coach Sven Vanthourenhout advised Sporza this week.
“We actually loved his performances in the course of the Tour and the Video games,” he continued. Evenepoel completed third on the Tour on debut, after which went onto double success in Paris.
He won’t be using the European Championships this week. “It is a disgrace for the general public that he is not on the European Championships, however it’s a blessing for the World Championships,” Vanthourenhout stated.
“Remco will do every part he can to understand his ambitions,” he continued. “However let’s be lenient if he would not succeed. He all the time throws himself 100 per cent, so let’s help him. However let’s not be too strict if it would not work out.”
“He is working onerous and needs to make one thing of the Worlds: then you definitely’ve been warned. However it was additionally a tricky and particular yr. I count on an excellent Remco, however we should not begin taking it without any consideration.”
In the meantime, chatting with La Gazzetta della Sport this week, Pogačar stated of the course: “It is onerous however not tremendous onerous, however it’s the riders who all the time make the race.”
“Final yr folks thought the Glasgow Worlds would finish in a dash however that by no means occurred. This yr is extra suited to the climbers. It is a punchy course, for aggressive riders, with some technical elements. It is an ideal Worlds course.
