"Remco Evenepoel is clearly the big favourite, Tadej Pogacar doesn't seem his usual self" – Jens Voigt previews Kigali Worlds road race

Jens Voigt believes Remco Evenepoel holds a clear upper hand heading into Sunday’s 2025 World Championships road race in Kigali, arguing that Tadej Pogacar lacks the sharpness that carried him to the rainbow jersey last year.

The Belgian dominated the time trial earlier this week, sealing a third consecutive world title, while Pogacar struggled to find his rhythm and missed out on the podium. For Voigt, that performance only confirmed where the balance of power lies.

“Right now I clearly see Remco Evenepoel as the favourite,” Voigt told Eurosport. “He has a very strong team around him, which is crucial in a long race where you need to hide for hours. He’s already proved he can win these big events – he’s world champion and Olympic champion. Pogacar is always dangerous, but at the moment he doesn’t look quite like his usual self.”

The Slovenian lit up Zurich in 2024 with a 100km solo attack, but Voigt doubts whether he can replicate that kind of brilliance in Rwanda. The Tour de France champion, he argues, appears to be paying for a punishing early-season calendar.

“Pogacar didn’t look 100 per cent in the time trial – not as focused, not as powerful,” Voigt explained. “He seems to have fallen into a small motivational lull after the Tour. For me he’s missing that little bit of esprit. I think he’s still paying for his heavy spring programme, with all those one-day races.”

That assessment was underlined by Pogacar’s recent showing at the GP de Montreal, where he looked short of his trademark punch. While the Slovenian still looms as a threat, Voigt has question marks over whether he can hold his ground against Evenepoel across such a demanding course.

Voigt expects the race to be far more than a straight duel, with several riders capable of joining the medal fight. He tips Britain’s Tom Pidcock and Mexico’s Isaac Del Toro to play prominent roles, alongside Pogacar, in shaping the finale. “The podium will come from Evenepoel, Pogacar, Del Toro and Pidcock,” he predicted. “I say gold for Evenepoel, silver for Pidcock and bronze for Pogacar.”

Behind them, names such as Primoz Roglic, Juan Ayuso, Mattias Skjelmose and Giulio Ciccone could all influence the outcome, while Voigt also highlighted Richard Carapaz, Egan Bernal and the Australians Jai Hindley and Jay Vine as dangerous outsiders.

The road race will stretch over an exceptionally long and climbing-heavy course, with altitude hovering around 1500 metres – a combination Voigt believes risks turning the event into an attritional war of survival.

“I think the race is either too long or has too much climbing – both together is too much,” he said. “It will be an elimination race, where only a handful of riders reach the finish. In the end only one of the very biggest names can win, the rest will just ‘starve’ along the way.”

He likened the profile to a hybrid of the Amstel Gold Race and GP de Quebec, expecting attrition at the back of the peloton before the decisive attacks arrive in the final circuits.

For German fans, expectations are modest. Voigt believes riders such as Georg Zimmermann and Felix Engelhardt can only aim for a top ten on a perfect day. “The five Germans are strong, but they’ll need to be aggressive and make the right move from mid-race. I don’t see a medal contender there.”

With Evenepoel carrying both form and momentum, Pogacar battling to rediscover his spark, and a host of ambitious challengers circling, Kigali promises a battle of attrition that only cycling’s very best can hope to survive.