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.

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."