Remco Evenepoel and Wout van Aert were two emerging talents on the road during similar years, and the talent and versatility on both riders has seen many comparing the two Belgians, with Tom Boonen also analyzing their relation.
“Becoming world champion won't get any easier after this year. Evenepoel has set a serious precedent,” Boonen said in an interview with Het Laatste Nieuws. “Last year you had the debacle in Leuven and the quarrel that followed, but at that time Remco was not really a competitor of Wout. He hadn't been anywhere until this year. There was a clear ranking: Wout was the leader and Remco was still the domestique. But in 2022 everything will have changed.”
The debate revolved around Boonen's opinion on the chemistry between the two, in which he defends Evenepoel will be unlikely to return to a supportive role for van Aert after Wollongong. “Remco will never be under Wout again. That shift is final and also lives at the cycling federation," he argued."
However, he believes that this could be a motivating factor for the Jumbo-Visma rider, who is yet to take a world title on the road despite several attempts and routes that have suited him very well.
"That might sting Wout – it will excite him in any case. The relationship between Wout and Remco will be interesting to follow. As it is now, it will not always be. But it is certain that they will often meet and often need each other," he concluded. Although very different types of riders, both are very fit to perform in the hilly races, in which the World Championships frequently take place and will see the two race together in the future.
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