No Wellens, Van Wilder... - Who will back up Remco Evenepoel to challenge Pogacar at the World Championships?
CyclingThursday, 27 August 2026 at 09:00
In 2025, Remco Evenepoel had stellar form at the Kigali World Championships but couldn't capitalize with a win at the road race event. Heading into the Montréal Worlds, the Olympic Champion can be assured already of several meaningful absences.
Three losses for the Belgian team
Evenepoel has recently finished second at the Tour de France, and subsequently won the Clásica San Sebastián. Behind Tadej Pogacar, the Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe has looked to be one of the most convincing climbers of the year, reaching his best form in July.
He is perhaps the only rider who can realistically aim to match or challenge Pogacar in Montréal, a race that will be decided in the short efforts of the already famous GP de Montréal climbs, as well as in endurance.
Slovenian over the year, despite having Tadej Pogacar, has not always had the most complete lineup, which opened up space for other national teams to try and surprise.
Belgium, land of classics specialists, were one of those who could try and take the opportunity. With Evenepoel now in the lead, an attempt to pressure Pogacar would be even more meaningful. But this will be difficult.
Evenepoel will be joined by Wout Van Aert and Tiesj Benoot. What have been, national coach Serge Pauwels confirmed to Het Laatste Nieuws, are several riders who will not be present.
One is Tim Wellens, notably Tadej Pogacar's teammate. “Tim could not start in the Renewi Tour and has let me know that the World Championships in just over a month make little sense either".
The second one is Ilan van Wilder, bronze medal at last year's time trial World Championships. "Ilan crashed heavily on the penultimate day of the Tour and has not been able to race since then".
"He hopes to resume in the Tour of Britain, but has indicated that he would prefer not to complete the time trial and road race in Canada".
Former Belgian champion Tiesj Benoot raced a strong Tour de France but won't be at the World Championships
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Jarno Widar still a question mark for elite worlds
Maxim van Gils is very likely to be the fourth rider in the lineup for the team, after the work he's done for Evenepoel at the Tour de France and his charachteristics. “Maxim is feeling good again. The World Championships are just a month away, but I’m not worried.”
Quinten Hermans, after a strong showing at the Renewi Tour, could also be an option. Who won't be is the overall winner there, Jasper Philipsen, who is not adapted to the difficult course. “I wouldn’t be doing Jasper a favor by selecting him. The World Championships are too tough".
Jarno Widar of Lotto-Intermarché could end up being another card to play, after the form the Lotto-Intermarché rider showed at the Vuelta a España's first few days.
“It’s nice to see Jarno doing so well, but at this moment, it’s more of a no than a yes for a selection," Pauwels says however. The youngster, who would be in a supporting role, is perhaps too young to take up such a position in a team looking to win the race.
"Honestly, I think the Pro World Championships are still a year too early for Jarno. Especially because he would be riding in a support role there, and because the World Championships are more than just climbing, positioning also plays a major role," Pauwels argues.
Thibau Nys and Gianni Vermeersch are two other riders in the shortlist, who are currently at the Vuelta a España and whose form will be put to the test over the coming weeks.
“Gianni is performing strongly. Thibau is still a question mark. The World Championships suit him, but he really needs to be in good form. He still has two weeks to prove that.”
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- Stop with the excuses. Train harder!
Front24227-08-2026 - He rode like a boss in the TDF - chapeau!Crashjames27-08-2026
- Capish has a ? not a ! you American twat
Rafionain-Glas27-08-2026 - So are millions of others.Renz27-08-2026
- What is Naesen's definition of an opponent? Giulio Pellizzari, on stage 16 of the 2024 Giro, battled to stay ahead of Pogačar. After failing to do so, he asked for Pogačar's glasses, and recieved that aswell as the (sweaty) jersey. He later was the only rider who fought Pogačar on Monte Grappa, attacking from the favourites on the first ascent and flying past the breakaway before he was caught by Pogačar on the second ascent, but stayed with him for a kilometre or two. That's clearly viewing Pogačar as an opponentRafionain-Glas27-08-2026
- I think that's a bit too generous. He seems to spend more time ill or crashing than actually rolling his wheels on the bikeRafionain-Glas27-08-2026
- That man (Cian) is an absolute rolling disaster.wrsty27-08-2026
- Er, he didn't ask for the glasses, as you yourself say. A bottle is not much to give, but those glasses were special.Hills3327-08-2026
- A monopoly is generally considered harmful to consumers and the economy because it eliminates competition, often leading to higher prices and lower quality. Pogi and his backers have created a monopoly.
vannpelt27-08-2026 - His racing weight for the Tour de l'Avenir was 59 kg for 1.81 m, which is extraordinary lean. Despite that, his time trialing (something not assessed at the Tour de l'Avenir, but at the Giro) is at a high level.Rafionain-Glas27-08-2026
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