“It will depend on who attacks first and usually that is... Remco” – Philippe Gilbert tips Evenepoel-Pogacar duel for Rainbow Jersey at Montreal World Championships
CyclingFriday, 31 July 2026 at 14:00
Philippe Gilbert believes Remco Evenepoel can turn the tables on Tadej Pogacar at the Montreal World Championships, despite the Slovenian’s emphatic victory in their Tour de France battle.
Pogacar secured his fifth yellow jersey with a margin of 6:26 over Evenepoel, repeatedly distancing the Belgian in the mountains and extending a run of dominance that also includes the past two world road titles.
Gilbert nevertheless expects a far more balanced contest in Canada. “The course is easier than in Kigali, with 3,600 metres of climbing. That suits Remco perfectly,” the former world champion told Le Soir.
The official route contains slightly more climbing than Gilbert’s estimate, but remains considerably less demanding than the course used in Rwanda. Its repeated shorter ascents, fast descents and long stretches suited to sustained power offer Evenepoel a different challenge from the high-mountain terrain on which Pogacar controlled the Tour.
Gilbert expects Pogacar-Evenepoel showdown
Pogacar has won the past two World Championships through long-range attacks. He launched more than 100 kilometres from the finish in Zurich in 2024, then again took control from distance in Kigali. Evenepoel was left chasing on both occasions, eventually settling for silver behind the Slovenian in Rwanda.
Gilbert expects the same two riders to dominate the Montreal race, but believes the order of their attacks could prove decisive. “Pogacar and Evenepoel are the big favourites,” he said. “I think one of them will become world champion. It will depend on who attacks first and usually in a race like that, it is… Remco.”
Evenepoel could not match Pogacar across three weeks in France, but still completed his best Tour de France and reinforced the qualities Gilbert believes will be decisive in Montreal. “He has become even stronger,” Gilbert said. “He is impressive. On the descents and on the flat, he was unbeatable.”
The Belgian’s biggest one-day victories have repeatedly come through sustained attacks rather than waiting for a reduced sprint. Montreal’s less mountainous route should allow him to use those strengths without having to survive the kind of prolonged climbing that separated the pair during the Tour.
Pogacar put in one of the greatest rides of all time in Kigali to win the World Championships for a second time
Wout van Aert strengthens Belgian hand
Gilbert also highlighted the presence of Wout van Aert in Belgium’s plans. “On top of that, he will also have Wout van Aert alongside him,” he said.
Van Aert gives Belgium another rider capable of surviving deep into a selective World Championship and prevents rival teams from concentrating solely on Evenepoel.
His speed in a reduced group would also make him dangerous if the expected Pogacar-Evenepoel attack never creates a decisive gap. Belgium can therefore approach the finale with more than one credible winning route, rather than committing every rider to an early pursuit of the defending champion.
Pogacar will arrive in Montreal having beaten Evenepoel at the Tour and at the previous two World Championships. Gilbert believes the Canadian course gives his compatriot a better opportunity to strike first and stop that sequence reaching three.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- ouch! Let's hope he recovers in time for a successful Vuelta, but I'm going to assume that he's not going to be at the level he wishes or needs to compete with, say, Pogačar (by now I assume he's going).RidesHills31-07-2026
- go wout!Crashjames31-07-2026
- Alec Segaert is present, so on stage 1 there is always a chance of a disruption of the sprint
Rafionain-Glas31-07-2026 - I'm a fan and hurts me to have to say - this is just plain stupid of both him and the team! “We may have misunderstood the Tour a bit this year,” Vingegaard said following his withdrawal. “We made me better on the longer climbs. But it could well be that we should have realised I needed to be a bit more explosive and look more closely at the route.''Cyclingsbestfan31-07-2026
- LOL passing men is no significant achievement for elite female cyclists unless they are actually prosRafionain-Glas31-07-2026
- Visma's Vuelta gifting was certainly complicated, with JV having almost wiped out Kuss's lead before a public outcry led to Visma's decision to hold back. But Jonas seemed fine with letting almost victory go.Hills3331-07-2026
- I can read, and am responding to another comment or, dumbdevilCrashjames31-07-2026
- imo the pogs gifting is way obvious... Visma riders obeyed team orders even though Kuss deserved his victory with Roglic having a sook.
Davide31-07-2026 - yup.OCexile31-07-2026
- I'm one of those who really hopes Pog is clean, as he has real (and entertaining) skills like attacking at just the right moment to beat Carapaz and Martinez on Alpe d'Huez, taking just the right line to pull away on the descent on Stage 6, crashing in such a way that he can carry on and win, or avoiding crashing over a bidon. For me, the real moment of temptation to boost performance in some way would surely be when a rider is feeling desperate (whether to win again or simply not crack); and we might not be aware of such an inner struggle.Hills3331-07-2026
Loading
Write a comment