“It’s what got him here” – Dekker compares Remco Evenepoel’s anger to Max Verstappen

Remco Evenepoel had to settle for silver at the World Championships road race in Kigali, finishing nearly 90 seconds behind Tadej Pogacar. The Belgian’s performance was clouded by repeated mechanical issues, multiple bike changes, and growing visible frustration as he waited for his support car. In the end, it was a day that revealed both his strength and his temper.

Former Dutch professional Thomas Dekker watched the drama unfold and shared his perspective on the Live Slow, Ride Fast podcast. “Pogacar is Slovenia's most important athlete, but those Slovenians are a bit more level-headed about it than those seven million Flemish people,” Dekker said, pointing to the intensity of pressure surrounding Evenepoel.

According to Dekker, that passion has a double edge. “Evenepoel has a bit of an anger problem,” he explained. “On the other hand, it's also what got him this far. He performs precisely because of that anger and resentment.”

Dekker highlighted the Belgian’s reaction after his second bike change. “After that, he slowed down a bit to be able to go one more time. Before that, it had been around a minute, but by the time he started, it was already 1:20. That was clever.”

Still, he noted the dynamics of the chase. “He would have had to drop them at such a pace that they simply couldn't hold their wheel, but Healy and Skjelmose were also very good. The only difference without them would have been that Evenepoel would have been able to ride alone and not get annoyed, because that's clearly what he does,” Dekker said.

“Every time he takes the lead, you can see he's irritated. Respect to Healy and Skjelmose, because if I were them, I wouldn't have ridden with him when he's like that. I would have said: 'Just ride, Remco. You want to be world champion, third is fine for me too.'”

Dekker ultimately drew comparisons with Formula 1’s fiercest competitor. “This was his big goal, and we all know what he's like. Just like we all know what someone like Max Verstappen is like,” he said. “He also drove like a maniac, and he still does when he has to. You can't eradicate the nature of the beast. In certain situations, you remain the same person, and the same discomforts surface in your mind. That's just the way it is with these guys.”

Others were more critical. Co-commentator José De Cauwer told Sporza the second bike change was a mistake. “You can't blame an amateur or a novice for that,” he said. “I know I'll face opposition from the Evenepoel camp, but you know that dropped riders will be sitting there and the support car won't be there. You always have to keep going there, on the Kimihurura! After that, despite everything, we saw a really good Evenepoel. What if he hadn't lost 42 seconds there by standing still?”

De Cauwer added that confidence may have been affected. “During that first change in the stalls, you might lose some confidence, something that's unusual for Evenepoel these days. He's in top form. But somehow he might think: how could this have happened to me?”

“He knew he'd have to wait and would have stopped. He couldn't ride another 5 kilometers, he said, but maybe another 1 or 2 kilometers? At the top, the jury would have let them through anyway. A kilometer further, the world might have looked different.”

From the Belgian team car, national coach Serge Pauwels explained the delays. “We passed Quinten Hermans on the Kimihurura, and he said Remco needed a new bike again. By then, we were already behind dropped riders, and the commissaire, of course, didn't let me through immediately. I said my leader needed a new bike, and after some deliberation, I was allowed to continue.”

“The moment we continued, I heard he was on the sidelines, so we were almost there. 42 seconds is a lot. If he continued a bit longer and then called out, I could immediately move forward and the bike change would be faster. Only this time he was lucky that Quinten was back there to work.”