"Project Canada" - Remco Evenepoel dials in for World Championships as he crosses paths with Mathieu van der Poel in Italy
Cycling
There's still a little more than a month until the 2026 Montreal World Championships, but the pre-race favourites are already sharpening their weapons in pursuit of rainbow jersey(s). And eternal glory. Remco Evenepoel is already a four-time world champion, but the challenge that is defeating Tadej Pogacar in road event can still get the Belgian fired up.
Joined forces
With the World Championships in sight, Evenepoel has therefore kicked off his final training block of this season. The Belgian is currently preparing in Livigno, Italy. But he's not alone. In fact, he is accompanied by national team colleague Quinten Hermans, and Mathieu van der Poel.
On Strava, the training camp has been labelled "Project Canada" by the double Olympic champion.
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Evenepoel is likely to spend the next two or three weeks fully focused on his training in Italy, before departing for Canadian WorldTour classics; the GP Quebec and GP Montreal.
Chasing rainbow
In five weeks from now, Van der Poel and Evenepoel will face off on the Montreal circuit. But for Van der Poel, this camp follows one other goal; the mountain bike World Championships which take place in Val di Sole already in two weeks' time.
The Dutchman is chasing the one last rainbow jersey which is missing from his collection after having become world champion at cyclocross (eight times), road (in 2023) and most recently gravel (2024).
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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