Remco Evenepoel will lead an eight-rider crew representing Belgium on the upcoming UCI Street World Championships, beginning September 21 in Zurich.
Whereas Evenepoel has been designated because the crew’s chief, Maxim Van Gils may additionally fill a second management function through the elite males’s 273.9km highway race on September 29, the ultimate day of competitors.
The crew additionally consists of Victor Campenaerts, Tim Wellens, Jasper Stuyven, Tiesj Benoot, Quinten Hermans and Laurens De Plus.
“Your entire crew will trip in assist of Remco,” nationwide Staff Coach Sven Vanthourenhout advised Sporza.
Absent from the crew is Wout van Aert, who crashed closely on a descent throughout stage 16 on the Vuelta a España and was compelled to desert the race. His Visma-Lease a Bike crew later introduced that he wouldn’t compete for the rest of the season.
Evenepoel described Van Aert’s season-ending harm as “an enormous loss” for Belgium forward of the Worlds.
Evenepoel may even compete within the particular person time trial, together with Campanaerts, which takes place on September 22.
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He heads into this occasion after ending third general on the Tour de France and was newly-crowned because the double Olympic champion within the highway race and time trial in Paris. He’s a favorite to defend his world title within the time trial, an occasion he gained in Glasgow final yr, and is without doubt one of the favourites to win the highway race for the second time in his profession after profitable in Wollongong in 2022.
“We actually loved his performances through the Tour and the Video games,” stated Vanthourenhout, noting that Evenepoel would skip the UEC Street European Championships held from September 11-15 to organize for the Worlds.
“It is a disgrace for the general public that he isn’t on the European Championships, nevertheless it’s a blessing for the World Championships.”
Vanthourenhout additionally stated Evenepoel was motivated forward of his management function for the World Championships, however that the biking neighborhood should not be too exhausting on him if he would not win a world title in Zurich.
“Remco will do all the pieces he can to comprehend his ambitions. However let’s be lenient if he would not succeed. He all the time throws himself 100 per cent, so let’s assist him. However let’s not be too strict if it would not work out,” he stated.
After the Tour de France and the Olympic Video games, the World Championships would mark a 3rd consecutive peak for Evenepoel, however Vanthourenhout aimed to maintain expectations lifelike, noting that his rider has had a demanding and profitable season.
“We’ll should see about that,” he stated. “He is working exhausting and needs to make one thing of the Worlds: you then’ve been warned. But it surely was additionally a tricky and particular yr. I count on an excellent Remco, however we should not begin taking it without any consideration.”
Elite males’s highway race crew for Belgium:
- Remco Evenepoel
- Victor Campenaerts
- Tim Wellens
- Jasper Stuyven
- Tiesj Benoot
- Quinten Hermans
- Maxim Van Gils
- Laurens De Plus
Elite males’s particular person time trial for Belgium:
- Remco Evenepoel
- Victor Campenaerts