"He honestly told me that he wants to follow his energy throughout the year" - Serge Pauwels outlines plans for Wout van Aert and Remco Evenepoel ahead of World Championships

It’s already 1 May 2025, and with the blink of an eye, the Spring Classics are behind us. The cobbles and chaos have given way to the long, gruelling roads of Grand Tour season, with the Giro d’Italia just around the corner. The race begins on 9 May, marking the next major chapter in an already dramatic cycling calendar.

Among the standout names heading to Italy is Wout van Aert. The 30-year-old Belgian superstar has conquered stages and worn leader’s jerseys at both the Tour de France and Vuelta a España, but he’s never before lined up for the Giro. That will change this month, as Van Aert prepares to chase glory with stage victories and potentially some time in pink.

His build-up to the Giro has been mixed. Still recovering from the crash setbacks that derailed his 2024 campaign, Van Aert has yet to fully recapture his best form in 2025. He came close with fourth-place finishes at both the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, but this spring was dominated by the likes of Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar.

For riders who specialise in one-day racing, attention may now begin to shift towards the autumn, when the European and World Championships will offer another chance at glory. For the first time, Belgium’s elite men will be led by Serge Pauwels, who took over as national coach from Sven Vanthourenhout last November.

Pauwels had already been working within the Belgian federation as a youth coach and assistant, but was formally handed the reins to lead the men’s professional and U23 squads in the winter. He will play a central role in guiding both Van Aert and Remco Evenepoel through their championship campaigns.

Speaking to WielerFlits, Pauwels shared insights into his first few months in the job, "These were and are busy times, yes. The classics are always a busy period, but my role was of course mainly on the sidelines. If you are not a team leader, you do not have a super active role. But I did find it important to be at the start regularly, for example in the Tour of Flanders and Gent-Wevelgem."

He explained that his presence at races is less about direct rider communication and more about relationship-building behind the scenes, "Not necessarily to talk to the riders there. I'm really not going to ask someone like Wout van Aert to talk about the World Championships before the Tour of Flanders or Paris-Roubaix. But at those races you often see the people from their entourage, such as the families, trainers and team managers of the riders. You're not going to maintain those contacts by sitting in front of the television."

Having spent years embedded in the sport (both as a rider and coach) Pauwels is well-acquainted with the athletes and support networks around them, “I have raced with some of the riders myself, others I have seen pass by in the U23s in recent years. I also saw many familiar faces in the sporting support of the riders and teams.”

But his responsibilities stretch far beyond simply being visible at races. Pauwels has undertaken a wide range of preparatory work for the Championships, “I had a first round of talks with all the riders who qualify for the European and World Championships in the elite category and promises. In recent months I also went to Rwanda to reconnoiter the World Championship. The same with the European Championships in Ardèche. In between I did some climbing tests with the youth and trained Angelo De Clercq in the juniors. It is a very varied range of tasks.”

Managing expectations is another key part of the job, and Pauwels is clear-eyed about the ever-changing nature of rider form, “Not making promises, that is something I have learned in recent years. The relationship between riders and their condition, that is very volatile. Someone who is good today can also be less good in August and vice versa.

“I have learned to always speak conditionally, but to try to maintain a good line of communication. That should never disappear completely, not even in busy periods. The ambitions of the riders fluctuate and you have to follow up closely. That is really an important matter.”

As for the two figureheads of Belgian cycling, their plans are starting to take shape, “Remco has already expressed his ambition for the World Championship to me. He would like to make that a goal.

“He wants to wait a bit for the European Championship, because that race is very soon after the World Championship. At the moment Remco is looking more at the World Championship, but the European Championship is certainly not out of the question.”

Van Aert, however, remains undecided about his late-season ambitions, with the Giro and Tour de France still ahead of him, "As for Wout: when I spoke to him, he was still preparing for the Cyclocross World Championships.

“After that, the spring, the Giro and the Tour would follow: then the World Championships are five phases further. He honestly told me that he wants to follow his energy throughout the year. After the Tour and Giro, he has to see: do I have enough mental and physical energy to go to Rwanda? So it is very fair that we let him decide later."