Patrick Lefevere has an "uneasy feeling" about the lack of his team's riders in Belgian nomination for World Championships

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.

Read also

ANALYSIS: What Went Wrong for Sepp Kuss in La Vuelta 2024?

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."

Read also

Tadej Pogacar and Primoz Roglic team up to hunt rainbow jersey - Slovenia reveals '7' for Zurich World Championships

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."

Read also

"He is the best cyclist there is" - Michael Matthews praises Tadej Pogacar but beats him in explosive GP de Québec finale

Soudal Quick-Step Pro Cycling Team

@soudalquickstep

·Follow

Traveling to Montreal together with @MySamsonite for the second part of our weekend ✌️

Watch on Twitter

134

Reply

Copy link

Read more on Twitter