“I know Remco well” – Vervaeke replaces Benoot to support Remco Evenepoel at the world championships

Belgium’s plans for Sunday’s world championship road race were forced into a late reshuffle when Tiesj Benoot withdrew due to illness. Louis Vervaeke has been called in as his replacement and will now line up alongside Remco Evenepoel in Kigali. Vervaeke arrives fresh from a strong Vuelta a España. The 31-year-old, a trusted climbing domestique for Evenepoel at Soudal – Quick Step, spent much of the Spanish race in breakaways and ended fourth in the mountains classification. Earlier this year he took his first professional victory, winning a stage at the Tour of Oman.

“I was disappointed not to be selected, because I was in great form,” Vervaeke admitted to VTM Nieuws as he departed for Rwanda, in what will be a huge opportunity this weekend. “I continued to take care of myself. So I was very happy when I got the phone call on Monday.”

The call triggered a flurry of logistics, though he praised the federation for smoothing the process. “There was a lot of last-minute arranging,” Vervaeke said. “But thanks to the federation, everything went very smoothly. I didn't have to worry about much.”

While acknowledging Benoot’s absence as a loss, Vervaeke stressed his readiness to serve the team. “Objectively speaking, Benoot's absence is a blow to the team, but I know Remco well and have proven in the past that I can be a valuable domestique.”

Benoot had been set for a key role, acting as road captain alongside Victor Campenaerts. But his preparations unraveled in the days before the Worlds. “On Saturday during the Super 8 Classic, I wasn't feeling great, but I thought it was a result of my last vaccination before this World Championship. On Sunday, it didn't improve, so I decided to take a COVID test,” he explained. The result ruled him out. “Even though I don't feel ill and the symptoms are very mild, I don't think it's wise or healthy to take any risks,” Benoot said.

National coach Serge Pauwels admitted the loss was a major setback. “This is a disappointment, because Tiesj is someone who could have gone deep into the final. He specifically prepared for this during his altitude training. It's incredibly unfortunate for him and the team. He was also going to be the road captain, along with Victor Campenaerts. He's competed in many World Championships as a professional for a reason. He was a certainty in my squad very early on.”