Patrick Lefevere has an "uneasy feeling" about the lack of his team's riders in Belgian nomination for World Championships
Cycling
Tough times for Patrick Lefevere ahead of the World Championships. The manager of Soudal - Quick-Step grown used to nominating handful Belgians into the National selections year by year, but that's not the case in 2024, when only Remco Evenepoel will wear the colours of Belgium in Zurich.
"Belgium is going to the World Championships and is taking with them: Remco Evenepoel as leader and not a single rider from our team. I'm not going to say that the guys who were selected don't deserve their place, but it does leave me with an uneasy feeling," Lefevere begins his regular column in Het Nieuwsblad.
Lefevere can understand Sven Vanthourenhout's decision to not bring certain riders: "I can certainly understand that Louis Vervaeke is not there after his difficult Vuelta. Louis himself too, I hope. Pieter Serry had always been a logical candidate, but he was hit by a car during training in early June and suffered a severe concussion. He only started racing again at the end of August."
However there are those who he believes deserved a chance to represent their country in Zurich: "That leaves: Ilan Van Wilder, who always had his place in the selection for me."
But despite this disagreement, Lefevere evaluates Vanthourenhout's time as Belgian coach positively, even suggesting he'll miss the man who is likely to become a DS in a competition team:
"In a previous life I would have pulled the national coach's ears hard, but Vanthourenhout is in his final weeks and I agree with what I have read in the newspapers. He has done his job more than adequately. With riders like Remco and Wout van Aert you don't have to be a tactical genius, but Sven has always managed all the conflicting interests inherent to the national team well. After the 2021 Leuven World Championships, the firing squad was ready, but he has completely turned the perception around his person."
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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