Belgians react to inability to catch Tadej Pogacar at World Championships: "He said then that he wouldn’t wait until the final lap. I thought he was joking"
Cycling
Tadej Pogacar stormed to victory in Zurich but that was after a very early attack that didn't have a ready response from the Belgians that had numbers in the peloton. The rival national team did chase on with several riders but was unable to succeed. How did it go wrong? The riders explain.
It was a move with exactly 100 kilometers to go on the main climb of the circuit. Andrea Bagioli followed initially but was then unable to do so after the ascent. Remco Evenepoel called the attack 'suicidal' and many others - both riders and non-riders - wondered if he was taking too many risks and burning off important energy. Evenepoel was hidden in the peloton saving his legs for the final laps, so he was nowhere near responding to the attack.
The team then did organize a chase; with Quinten Hermans, Victor Campenaerts and finally Maxim van Gils doing the bulk of the work to control the gap, but a few others did not have their best legs or managed to contribute much. This meant the catch was never made and Pogacar would go on to win the race. We have collected quotes from Wielerflits and Het Laatste Nieuws regarding the Belgians' commentary following the race:
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National coach Sven Vanthourenhout: “When the large group with Tratnik and De Plus rode away and had a lead of more than two minutes, Jasper Stuyven dropped down to ask if they should start riding. I said that it wasn’t necessary, but that they should be alert for Pogacar’s crossing".
Tiesj Benoot (Het Laatste Nieuws): “At the start of the third-to-last lap, I saw Slovenia accelerating at the front of the peloton. I looked back and didn’t see Remco, so I dropped down to go and look for him. That’s why I was too far. We weren’t completely attentive at that moment. A mistake on our part. We halved the difference and closed the gap to within half a minute. Remco was still quite relaxed at that time. But I have to admit that I didn’t have my best legs.”
Quinten Hermans: “[I didn't respond] Because it was my job to surround Remco until we would show our cards for the first time with three laps to go... When Pogacar attacks, you shouldn’t hesitate".
Tim Wellens: “We should have been more up front when Tadej attacked… Just before the World Championships, I went to train with Tadej in Monaco. He said then that he wouldn’t wait until the final lap. I thought he was joking.”
Jasper Stuyven: “On this tough course – in retrospect too difficult for me – that (chasing, ed.) was only possible in the three flat kilometers towards the finish. With my last bit of strength, I managed to reach Remco and told him what Sven had said.”
Maxim Van Gils: “I tried to get Remco as close as possible so that he could jump, but my legs filled up pretty quickly. I didn’t have a super day,”
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- Where Merckx just rode every single race he could and won all the time, Hinault won less often (percentage wise) because he was more judicious in what he raced. His palmares are nuts. He had amazing rivals, one to start his career and another to end it in the grand tours. His classics were solid. What sets him apart from Merckx and Pogačar are that he basically dabbled in the classics while the other two love(d) them. I used to compare Pogačar to Hinault for his grand tour record and occasional classics win, until I realized that the comparison was wrong. Pogačar loves the classics - ah, the memory of his reaction to finishing fourth in a 2 person sprint in Flanders in ‘22: utter domination in any one day race since then, even when he doesn’t win. Hinault lived for the grand tours and I don’t think anyone else will ever reach his record. 10 wins in 13 attempts? Good lord. An amazing rider. Wish there was more footage to watch.RidesHills11-11-2026
- I had no idea about that either.
santiagobenites10-11-2026 - great analysis thanks! appreciate you posting this. I didn't realize CX had a different standard for deviation. this is even more egregious it seems.mij10-11-2026
- As he isn't currently with Red Bull, I guess if he want to race for one more year he needs to find a team. He's 37 so this will be his last year I would guess, unless he wants to race for almost nothing like Froome did.awp10-11-2026
- I think some are making much ado about nothing. Even though Jonas is getting older, before his crash in the Tour, he looked like a solid 2nd all the way home. No one can really climb with Tadej until this year, Eric Mas showed himself which I think was a one off year for him and Paul Seixas has been able to be pretty close to him. Whatever stage race Jonas enters as long as Tadej is not there he is a favorite to win.awp10-11-2026
- Giro or not Giro, he won't win the Tour!MajorPayne10-11-2026
- Very true.awp10-11-2026
- Ciccone had a very strong end of season. Consistently attacking and livening up races. Hope he makes that last leap in progress and starts notching some significant wins. Great rider to watch.Occam10-11-2026
- Me too!!!!!Occam10-11-2026
- they can sign any 100 of top riders today but Pogi will win over Remco any time at the TDF unless something goes wrongabstractengineer10-11-2026
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Tadej Pogacar won the Rainbow Jersey in Zurich after the longest solo attack (51 km) since Vittorio Adorni in Imola, 1968 (90 km). I think it's easy to predict what Pogi will try to do in Rwanda next year...😒 #Zurich2024
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