Remco Evenepoel and Belgian team on controversial time-trial descent - "You also dive almost blindly into a black hole"

The World Championships time-trial course features some climbing for both men and women, as well as descending - which is steep and straightforward. However, the descent didn't really gather much attention up until the last few days when the riders have reconned the course, and criticism is landing from all sides including from Remco Evenepoel.

“It is by far the most dangerous part of the course: a super steep descent of one kilometre on an unclear and bumpy track," Evenepoel said in words to Het Laatste Nieuws. “You have to mind off for a while and hope that you do not have any material problems during that descent. I saw that there is a way out at the bottom straight ahead in case you miss the bend. They have also indicated that bend with signs that count down how far it is to the bend, but will we notice that at that high speed?”

Some riders mentioned that they expect speeds of up to 90Km/h through an urban setting as well. In Switzerland this is not unusual, regardless of it being in the mountains or in small hills such as this one. The 46-kilometer course will not be heavily influenced by it, but it's inclusion in the course will create tension in most and are seen as an unnecessary risk.

Other members of the Belgian team were also not happy with the presence of this segment, with Victor Campenaerts saying: “In Switzerland you think of perfect roads, but here they have found a kilometer where the asphalt is bad and then goes down super steeply.”

Lotte Kopecky in the meantime perhaps had harsher words regarding this descent: “Halfway you also dive almost blindly into a black hole, because a piece of forest does not let the sun through. I rode that descent with my buttocks closed. Ludwig was sitting in the follow-up car with clammy hands”