Lefevere on national championships weekend: "We will still see a good race and get a deserved winner"

Patrick Lefevere's talking point of the week was regarding the national championships, a topic that has a big importance in Belgium as many World Tour and Pro Teams will be fighting for one of the most prestigious national titles.

In his weekly column at Het Nieuwsblad, the manager of Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team has talked about the upcoming national championships. "The big absentee on Sunday is of course Wout van Aert, who bumped his knee against his handlebars on a training period in Tignes. How much bad luck can you have…"

"I'm not going to say it didn't happen, but if Jumbo-Visma prefers to keep its leaders away from the championships for the Tour, say so in so many words. Or is it a coincidence that Primož Roglič is not participating in Slovenia either?” Lefevere cast. Several riders from other teams will, like Roglic, not be riding the national championships by option as the routes do not suit them, the travel stress and Covid-19 risk pose a big threat to riders who have been preparing for months into their biggest goal of the season.

Without a pure sprinter, the Belgian team will have large numbers but small chances of taking the national title. “Barely two hundred kilometers. Obviously not in favor of our team, which starts without a sprinter. I read left and right that Remco Evenepoel should just do it like in Gullegem Koerse, but with permission: that is complete nonsense. No comparison is possible between the peloton that was there at the start and that of the Belgian Championship," he pointed out. The circuit in Middelkerke will favour the fast men, however always with a chance of countering as many teams carry very large lineups.

“To end on a positive note: despite the course, despite the skewed balance of power and despite the absence of Van Aert, we will still see a good race and get a deserved winner... Whoever wins on Sunday can call himself Belgian champion forever. And should never be ashamed of that," he concluded.