There was an impromptu celebration for Remco Evenepoel on the Belgian lodge in Wetzikon on Sunday night after he had received his second successive time trial world title, however the man of the hour was already casting his thoughts forward to a different urgent appointment subsequent weekend.
“Our World Championships week has began effectively,” Evenepoel mentioned on the finish of his quick speech. “On to extra.”
On the Paris 2024 Olympics, Evenepoel adopted his victory within the time trial with an astonishing solo victory within the highway race, and the 24-year-old is now searching for a exceptional ‘double double’ by sweeping the elite males’s medals on the World Championships.
Certainly, for the reason that self-discipline was first launched to the schedule in Agrigento in 1994, no elite male time trial world champion has gone on to win the highway race later within the week. Miguel Induráin got here closest in Boyacá in 1995, successful the time trial in Tunja earlier than having to accept silver behind compatriot Abraham Olano the next Sunday.
Evenepoel achieved the double as a junior in Innsbruck in 2018, and he’s unlikely to be daunted by the precedent of the previous three many years of Worlds time trialling. The week-long hole between the 2 occasions lately – versus the previous three-day turnaround – ought to theoretically facilitate his job.
“I must recuperate effectively within the subsequent two days, after which I’ll have two good trainings on Wednesday and Thursday,” Evenepoel mentioned within the combined zone after his time trial win. “Then it’s going to be restoration for Sunday.”
Evenepoel thanked the Belgian delegation by ordering a stack of takeaway pizzas to their lodge on Sunday night, and he additionally used his speech to playfully urge federation president Tom Van Damme to attempt to speak nationwide coach Sven Vanthourenhout out of stepping down from his publish after these Worlds. “If I had been the federation, I’d negotiate once more,” Evenepoel quipped.
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Beforehand cyclocross coach, Vanthourenhout took over the reins of the elite males’s highway workforce in 2021. Underneath his steering, Evenepoel has received the Worlds highway race in Wollongong in 2022, two time trial world titles and, after all, these two Olympic gold medals.
At Vanthourenhout’s first Worlds in Leuven in 2021, he needed to attempt to strike a steadiness between the competing ambitions of Evenepoel and Wout van Aert. With Van Aert an absentee this yr on account of damage, the Belgian squad’s problem on the highway race is constructed squarely round Evenepoel. Talking in Zurich on Sunday night, Evenepoel acknowledged that the time trial victory meant his Worlds was already a hit.
“It takes away a little bit of strain, let’s say,” Evenepoel mentioned. “Successful this jersey once more goes to permit me to reside somewhat bit extra relaxed in direction of subsequent Sunday. I’m fairly assured. My legs are there, that’s clear.”
“I can nonetheless enhance a bit in direction of subsequent Sunday, like I did within the Olympics as effectively. I’ll simply attempt to reside subsequent week as relaxed as doable and in a great way, making an attempt to handle my physique, after which all the pieces ought to be advantageous. I ought to hopefully be prepared for an excellent efficiency once more subsequent Sunday.”
Zürich
The elite males’s time trial set out from the Oerlikon velodrome, website of the end line of the Züri-Metzgete, whereas the demanding course of the elite males’s highway race options terrain that after featured on the route of the demanding however sadly discontinued Traditional.
“I believe it’s a bit between a little bit of a light-weight model of Lombardia and Liège, it’s a mixture of that,” Evenepoel mentioned. “In fact, the riders who’re a bit lighter have a small benefit, but additionally the Classics guys can survive if they’ve good days. We’d anticipate a really particular race that may go in a number of instructions.”
All advised, the race options some 4,470m of altitude acquire, whereas the grand finale is supplied by seven laps of a 27km circuit that brings riders over the stiff climb of Witikon. Tadej Pogačar underscored his favorite standing by successful the Grand Prix de Montréal final week, whereas Evenepoel is arguably the one rider who would again himself in a head-to-head contest with the Slovenian.
“I believe for me it’s clear. I want to remain targeted and never lose an excessive amount of power within the begin after which attempt to discover a good second to go – or else have the legs to go along with the massive names after they go,” Evenepoel mentioned.
“I’ll attempt to learn the race in addition to doable, as a result of it’s a metropolis circuit and that’s at all times particular. It’s not precisely like final yr [in Glasgow] but it surely’s nonetheless a metropolis circuit with some steep kickers, so we’re going to see the way it goes.
“Usually it ought to keep dry, in order that’s already a constructive factor. But it surely may go in a number of instructions – there may be a man alone, we’d go along with two or three to the end, we’d go along with a gaggle of ten to the end. It might probably actually go in each course. I didn’t see the native lap but, however we are going to do some recons throughout subsequent week. I hope for an extended and difficult race, after all, like Paris.”
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