"I rode with the fastest shoes in the world" - Remco comes to rescue junior compatriot

Tuesday was a great day for Dutch cycling, winning all three UCI time trials scheduled for the day. Two of them in the junior category at the World Championships in Kigali. And a part of elite world champion Remco Evenepoel was present on the course also today thanks to 16-year-old Laura Fivé. The young Belgian encountered a material emergency before her start and none other than the "aero-bullet" came to her rescue.

"I had been given ankle boots with a zipper, and they were really painful. Everyone still needed the ankle boots for tomorrow, for the mixed relay. If I fell, they would be ruined," she explained to Sporza. 

Fivé quickly contacted about everyone she knew in Kigali, including the Belgian hero from last Sunday. "We sent a message to Remco's dad to ask if we could use his shoes," the Belgian explains. Luckily for Fivé, they were. "This is truly wonderful. I'm so happy. I was in shock, because you wouldn't expect that, but he's a friendly guy."

Just a few minutes later, Remco Evenepoel himself appeared to deliver his own shoes to Fivé! "Not even two minutes later, he was there. I ride with the fastest boots in the world," said the sixteen-year-old rider.

Fivé ultimately crossed the finish line with tenth best time, 1:36 behind winner Megan Arens. Not an upset result for the Belgian timetrial champion, but not a disaster either for the first-year junior who will be one of the main names to watch next year when she'll be the axis predator in time trials herself.

Fivé was happy with her time trial, though. "It went pretty well. I did feel the altitude affecting me. It was the first time I rode with a pacing plan, and that went well. I tried to make myself as small as possible on the descents."