“Maximise Belgium’s chances. Not Remco’s or Wout’s” - National coach sets out plan amid Evenepoel-Van Aert World Championship leadership debate
Cycling
Belgium arrive at the 2026 World Championships with two proven rainbow jersey contenders in Remco Evenepoel and Wout van Aert, backed by a squad strong enough to keep both leaders protected deep into Sunday’s road race.
Evenepoel has just won a fourth consecutive world time trial title in Montreal, while Van Aert heads into the road race after taking two stages and the green jersey at the Vuelta a Espana.
Tiesj Benoot, Quinten Hermans, Thibau Nys, Alec Segaert, Maxim Van Gils and Gianni Vermeersch complete an eight-man selection carrying more expectation than most.
| Belgium - Elite men's road race |
| Remco Evenepoel |
| Wout van Aert |
| Tiesj Benoot |
| Quinten Hermans |
| Thibau Nys |
| Alec Segaert |
| Maxim Van Gils |
| Gianni Vermeersch |
“I want to maximise Belgium’s chances. Not Remco’s chances or Wout’s chances,” national coach Serge Pauwels told RTBF. “So it is about combining our strengths and making sure we can play both cards. Maybe not at the same time, but in any case making sure they do not race against each other.”
Belgium have carried two leaders before
Evenepoel and Van Aert have already shared responsibility at major championships. The build-up to Wollongong in 2022 was dominated by questions over Belgium’s two-leader setup, particularly after the tension that followed the previous year’s Worlds in Flanders. Evenepoel eventually got himself into the decisive move and rode away to the rainbow jersey, while Van Aert remained protected behind.
Two years later in Paris, Belgium again carried both men into the decisive phase of the Olympic road race. Van Aert responded when Mathieu van der Poel attacked on Montmartre, while Evenepoel later escaped and rode away to gold.
Between them, Evenepoel and Van Aert have already collected four elite road Worlds medals, including Evenepoel’s 2022 rainbow jersey.
Remco Evenepoel and Wout van Aert - Elite Road World Championships record
| Year | Remco Evenepoel | Wout van Aert |
| 2020 | 2nd | |
| 2021 | 62nd | 11th |
| 2022 | 1st - World champion | 4th |
| 2023 | 25th | 2nd |
| 2024 | 5th | |
| 2025 | 2nd |
“What is important for us is that we have two cards to play,” Pauwels said. “That is our advantage over the other nations. It creates a little pressure, of course, but we are also ready to play our role.”
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Del Toro, Seixas and Van der Poel arrive in form
Isaac Del Toro won the GP Montreal ahead of Paul Seixas earlier this month, while Mathieu van der Poel used the Tour de Luxembourg for his final race preparation before travelling to Canada.
“It is clear that we are one of the favourite nations, but I think there are other countries as well,” Pauwels said. “We saw Del Toro going very well at the Grand Prix de Montreal. Seixas is in great form. And we will also have Van der Poel, who is in good shape too.”
Seixas followed his second place at the GP Montreal with bronze in the World Championships time trial. Evenepoel won that race by 57 seconds over Filippo Ganna to secure his fourth successive rainbow jersey against the clock.
The elite men face 273.7 kilometres and 3,803 metres of climbing on Sunday, with 12 laps of the Mount Royal circuit and repeated ascents of Camillien-Houde and Polytechnique before the finish on Avenue du Parc.
Belgium’s six support riders face an important early role
“The race will become very important once we arrive on the circuit in the centre of Montreal,” Pauwels said. “We will really need the other six teammates as well before our leaders can play their cards.”
Benoot and Vermeersch bring considerable experience from the biggest one-day races, while Van Gils and Nys give Belgium further options if moves begin before either leader wants to commit. Segaert and Hermans complete the group around them.
Van Aert arrives with three weeks of Vuelta racing in his legs, while Evenepoel has prepared through Quebec, Montreal and the Worlds time trial.
Pogacar’s absence removes the rider who won the previous two World Championships road races and dictated much of the racing around him.
Belgium will instead start Sunday with a former world champion in Evenepoel, a two-time Worlds silver medallist in Van Aert and six riders tasked with getting both men onto the Mount Royal circuit in position to use those cards.
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.
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