"If Tadej can beat Remco anywhere, it's on this course" - Former Dutch pro believes Pogacar can become time-trial World Champion
Cycling
Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel are the two headliners of this year's World Championships, which miss out on many of the world's best due to the distance of travel, weather, brutal course and vaccination requirements. They will both be the main favourites for the road race and time-trial, and for the latter the battle will already take place this Sunday and betwen some, the Slovenian is going to be the main favourite.
"If you look at Montreal he was cycling around whistling. He's been ill, and they assumed he wouldn't be ill again next week. So his form should improve even further. Then he'll be cycling home laughing, of course," Bram Tankink, former Dutch pro, said in De Rode Lantaarn podcast.
"Purely based on performance, I'd also say Pogacar at this point, but Remco also indicated that he was really fine and had truly focused on this World Championship time trial. If Tadej can beat Remco anywhere, it's on this course, because of the amount of elevation gain," he argues.
Th 40-kilometer long course in Kigali features several climbs, as well as descents, and is the most climber-oriented course in recent years, including a hilltop finish that follows a cobbled ascent. "You could see in the last time trial in the Tour that he was truly outstanding. I don't think it's illogical, but in terms of intrinsic time trial skills, Remco is obviously better."
The two apart from each other
"It's really very difficult. It's up and down everywhere. In Kigali, it's either up or down. It's built on hills, and the landscape is uneven. There's no valley you can ride through smoothly. It's just no different there".
And Tankink believes that there will be no-one coming close to the duo, specially with the absence of the likes of Jonas Vingegaard, Primoz Roglic, Filippo Ganna or João Almeida. "I don't think so in the time trial. Unless those two really fall through the cracks, which is almost unimaginable. It's mainly decapitated by the fact that Ganna isn't there."
"I'd go for Evenepoel," Tankink says, although he is not sure, because of the course and how it does favour Pogacar's climbing skills more than any other challenge against the clock this year.
He also commented on Primoz Roglic's presence in the road race, a wildcard, not a supporter for Pogacar he believes. "He's not going to be Pogacar's domestique. He's probably crazy. He can surprise me, because I've always had a certain sympathy for him."
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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