New Belgium national coach has his say on whether Remco Evenepoel or Wout van Aert should lead: "That is something that everyone has to think about"

Belgium’s national cycling team faces a unique challenge that many teams would envy: having two world-class riders, Wout van Aert and Remco Evenepoel, both vying for leadership. With the arrival of new national coach Serge Pauwels, managing these ambitions and ensuring team cohesion has become a critical task.

Pauwels recently spoke to Het Nieuwsblad about his plans and the challenges ahead, shedding light on the situation surrounding Evenepoel’s form and Van Aert’s leadership role.

“I spoke to Koen Pelgrim (Evenepoel's trainer) this week, and he said that it will just take a bit more time than expected,” Pauwels explained, referencing Evenepoel’s recovery and preparation for the season. “I do expect that they have it well under control and that Remco will start racing somewhere in the spring.”

While Evenepoel’s return to racing is eagerly anticipated, Pauwels also emphasised the critical role of Van Aert within the national team setup. “At Visma | Lease a Bike, he sometimes does the work of a domestique, but with the national team, Wout must always aspire to leadership or shadow leadership. He will have to decide for himself whether he wants to do the World Championship. After my reconnaissance in Rwanda, I will brief him, and then it is up to him,” Pauwels said.

Pauwels is confident in Van Aert’s versatility and ability to handle a wide range of courses. “To be honest, I think there is hardly a course that Wout cannot handle. If you see that someone like Van der Poel reached the podium on a difficult course in Zurich, then Wout could have done that too,” he added.

Another pressing concern for Pauwels and the Belgian team is how to counter Tadej Pogacar, one of the most dominant riders in the peloton. Pauwels acknowledged the challenge, saying, “How can we make it as difficult as possible for him? That is a question that concerns me more than the course issue. That is something that everyone has to think about.”

Beating Pogacar may be tough, but Pauwels believes it is achievable under the right circumstances. “In Zurich, he attacked 100 kilometres from the finish, and that was exactly where the chance to beat him lay. Of course, he was by far the strongest man in the race, but at the end, we did see him decline. If we had had someone like Van Aert, things might have turned out differently,” Pauwels reflected.