"It was crucial to find the seven best riders possible" – Pauwels explains Belgium’s World Championship team led by Evenepoel

Earlier this week, Belgium confirmed its lineup for the World Championships in Rwanda, with Remco Evenepoel leading the squad. The team is shaped by the absences of several big names, forcing manager Serge Pauwels to make strategic calls. He underlined the importance of carefully selecting the riders who will support Evenepoel in the mountains and over the punishing distance. With over 5,000 meters of climbing expected, the course in Kigali promises to be one of the most demanding in years.

“Certain decisions were made after the withdrawals of Wout van Aert, Tim Wellens, and Maxim Van Gils, among others,” Pauwels told Wielerflits. “It was crucial to find the seven best riders possible to properly support our sole leader. That makes it a lot easier.”

The final selection, Pauwels admitted, was not simple. “The last spots are always the hardest to fill. Someone like Louis Vervaeke would have deserved his place on this course, and in his current condition. But the choice fell on Xandro Meurisse, someone who I consider very reliable. Not only to do his job, but I also expect him deep into the finale. He rode a good Tour and don't forget that he already finished in the top 10 in the Clasica San Sebastian and last year in Lombardy.”

He added that the withdrawals of stars like Van Aert and Wellens had to be respected. “I did try to trigger them in a playful way, but once a rider has made up their mind, you shouldn't try to convince them. In ideal circumstances, Van Aert and Wellens would have played a major role, but you can't view a World Championship like this in isolation from the rest of the season. You can't just replicate the Van Aert who won in Montmartre in Rwanda in the same form. A World Championship requires specific preparations, and it's a real challenge to be ready at the start.”

The Rwandan terrain is expected to be decisive. “We're facing a race with over 5,000 meters of elevation gain. So, you primarily want to include a few riders who are good climbers. The first deciding factor is Mount Kigali, about 100 kilometers from the finish line. Everyone expects the race to explode there, and then it's crucial to survive with as many riders as possible. That's precisely why I chose two riders, Cian Uijtdebroeks and Ilan Van Wilder, who can perform at altitude. Men who don't lose much power at 1,400 meters. The rest are riders who can handle the distance.”

He also pointed to lessons from last year. “The fact that that long climb is so far from the finish line is somewhat of an advantage for all the other riders. Pogacar isn't afraid to push himself from a distance, as we saw again at the World Championships in Zurich. But by racing like that last year, he also gave the opposition a chance to beat him. That taught us not to shoot individually, but to truly use our strengths as a team in the 100 kilometers that await after Mount Kigali.”

Evenepoel’s form remains a talking point after his turbulent summer. “I don't know how much that played on Remco's mind, but there's clarity now, and that's reassuring. His withdrawal from the Tour de France wasn't ideal, but he's been able to process that. He needed a bit of a reset, but after a good training camp in Livigno, he's ready for the Tour of Britain. That will be a good week with plenty of competition, so I expect him to be in good shape,” Pauwels said.

The final Belgian roster for Rwanda includes Evenepoel as leader, backed by Ilan Van Wilder, Victor Campenaerts, Tiesj Benoot, Florian Vermeersch, Xandro Meurisse, Quinten Hermans, and Cian Uijtdebroeks.