"Montmartre is almost copy of Kimihurura climb" - Belgian coach hopes to convince Wout van Aert to race in Kigali

Wout van Aert appeared out of nowhere during the neutralized stage 21 of Tour de France and became the first and last rider during this year's edition to drop Tadej Pogacar in the streets of Paris. His phenomenal performane on Montmartre did not go unnoticed by Belgian national team selector Serge Pauwels who quickly recognized Van Aert's potential for Kigali World Championships later this summer with final circuit very reminiscent of that in Paris.

"I suddenly realized that the climb up Montmartre is a bit of a carbon copy of that Kimihurura climb," Pauwels told WielerFlits after the final stage of Tour.

In addition, weather could be comparable to that from Sunday: "Because the rainy season starts in September, the chance of similar conditions is also quite high. I found that really striking," laughs Pauwels. "That's why I decided to share that observation with the world."

The Belgian all-rounder would be a vital help for Belgian national team regardless of whether he starts as a leader himself, or to help another rider.

But after having ridden two Grand Tours, it won't be easy to convince Van Aert to change his plans for the rest of this season. "He replied to my message at two o'clock last night with a smiley face," says Pauwels. "I don't want to put too much pressure on him. I also feel it will probably be a 'no', but it's my job to do everything I can to motivate him. He's a very important rider for our country."

But the situation is more complicated than that. "I also understand that for him it's a matter of: is there still enough energy left in the tank? It's been a tough build-up after the crash in the Vuelta. After that, he had a bit of a patchy winter, followed by a spring, Giro and Tour. In his situation, it's not easy to go to a World Championship as a pleasure trip or a kind of bonus."

Although it was reported by HLN that Van Aert definitely has no plans of riding the World Championships this year, Pauwels hopes to find that spark in 30-year-old's eyes. "The intention is to discuss the matter further and catch up. And for me, his decision shouldn't be final. You always have to make room for someone like him. Even if he changes his mind later due to circumstances, you can always have a conversation."