“It’s tailor-made for both Wout and Remco” – Greg Van Avermaet on Belgium’s 2026 World Championship prospects

Former Olympic gold medallist, Paris-Roubaix winner and two-time Grand Prix de Montréal winner, Greg Van Avermaet, has been appointed ambassador for the 2026 UCI Road World Championships, set to take place in Montréal. Drawing from his extensive experience on the city's challenging circuit, Van Avermaet shared his expectations for Belgian riders in the 2026 World Championships with Sporza.

Reflecting on the course in Montréal, Van Avermaet noted, “The start will be somewhere different, and there might be fewer laps. But it's going to be a tough race regardless.” He emphasized that the circuit, known for its elevation and difficult terrain, is well-suited for Belgian riders: “It's a course that should suit the Belgians: demanding, with a lot of elevation gain. But still doable.”

He further highlighted the strengths of Belgian cyclists. “It's tailor-made for both Wout and Remco. Wout can finish it off in an uphill sprint, while Remco can burn off some energy on the climb.” 

Van Avermaet also pointed to historical success, recalling that the last time the World Championships took place in Montréal, a Belgian emerged victorious: “The last time the World Championships were held in Montreal, Eddy Merckx won. So all good signs.”

He added that familiarity with the course can be advantageous for riders. “It's also nice for many riders that they'll be racing on a familiar course. At other World Championships, there's often a big question mark about how tough it will be, because you've never raced there before.”

But before that, the 2025 World Championships in Kigali, Rwanda, are awaiting. He described the course as even more demanding than Montréal, particularly favoring climbers: “It's a World Championship that's even tougher than Montreal, a bit more challenging for the climbers. Yet another opportunity for Remco to become world champion. However, the journey and the altitude make it difficult. You shouldn't underestimate racing at high altitude.”

Tadej Pogacar is the obvious man to beat. The Slovenian already won the 2024 edition that took place in Switzerland after a terrific attack with 100km to go that for which nobody had an answer, and he is coming to Rwanda with the clear goal of going back to back. “Tadej Pogacar will likely be the toughest competitor. We're not going to suddenly say he's bad just because he lost once (in Quebec).”

Despite falling short to win in Quebec, a race he has never conquered, Pogacar decimated the competition two days later, ultimately gifting the victory to his teammate Brandon McNulty, proving he is in shape and ready for the challenge. “I think he's riding at a very high level again. There's still some room for improvement. It's normal that there was some decompression after the Tour, that's okay. I think he's currently at the ideal level to develop to his top level for the World Championships,” he concluded.