"It's actually a bit of a disgrace for a World Championship" - Fury over time trial course as Evenepoel's Red Bull sports director doesn't hold back
CyclingSunday, 20 September 2026 at 11:24
On the morning of the 2026 World Championships time trials, both the elite men's and women's courses are under the spotlight after riders and teams got their first look at the route on closed roads on Saturday.
Reacting to the course, the Belgian team expressed their surprise at potholes patched rather than filled, while technical corners and rough asphalt have forced riders to re-think their plans for the race against the clock.
Remco Evenepoel is the favourite in the men's time trial. He's bidding for his fourth title in a row and is under the eye of his Red Bull - BORA Hansgrohe sports director Klaas Lodewyck. Describing a smooth section of the course over the famous F1 circuit, he describes other sections of the course as 'appallingly bad'.
"It's actually a bit of a disgrace for a World Championship," he told Sporza after riders took on the recon.
"It is what it is, we have to deal with it."
Remco Evenepoel is the favourite for the elite men's time trial
World Championships course criticised
The blunt criticism addresses the course's suitability to the occasion, but Lodewyck has admitted that his rider and others will have to make do with the conditions.
“We have prepared for the course as well as possible, but we also don’t want to write down too much information,” Lodewyck explained. “You still want to keep a certain calm in the riders’ heads. But everything crucial has been noted.”
The Belgian camp were surprised by the technical nature of the course, finding the opening and ending sections more tricky than they had expected.
“He found it more technical than expected,” Pauwels told Het Nieuwsblad. “Especially the first and the last six kilometres. Between his two laps, Remco went back over those sections again.”
Rain is a worry for the Belgian camp, who also bring Alec Segaert and Rune Herregodts to the event. They also noted that some potholes previously noted in an April recon had not been fully filled - but rather patched up.
Pauwels on the Belgium recon of course
“In that twisting opening section, you are limited in the power you can put down, especially if it rains,” Pauwels said.
“You will have to brake a lot and the corners will really become moments of recovery.”
Lotte Kopecky also highlighted the dangers riders faced when riding the course before the recon ride, with the road surface a key issue in her eyes.
"Lots of stop signs, lots of traffic lights, and a bad road surface," she said.
The women's time trial kicks off at 3pm CET and is expected to end around 5:20pm while the men's begins at the later time of 6:45pm CET, ending at around 9:15pm. Both races start and end at a later time due to Montreal being six hours behind in time difference.
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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