"Remco wasn’t feeling too good" - Reason for Remco Evenepoel's subdued World Championship struggle revealed by Thibau Nys
Cycling
Remco Evenepoel was noticeably quieter than expected as the elite men's road race at the 2026 World Championships began to explode on the Mont-Royal circuit, and Thibau Nys has now offered an explanation.
After stepping off himself, the Belgian revealed that Evenepoel had told him he was not feeling at his best when the first major favourites moves began to develop. "Remco wasn’t feeling too good at the moment they went," Nys told Cycling Pro Net after abandoning.
That moment came as Wout van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic and Oscar Onley became involved in a dangerous move with around 90 kilometres remaining.
Evenepoel initially stayed behind as the race became increasingly aggressive. Isaac del Toro and Paul Seixas were among those later trying to close the gap, with Evenepoel following rather than dictating the pace in the way so often seen on his biggest days.
Nys was careful not to suggest that his leader's race was necessarily finished. "He was not feeling super, but I don’t think, for the moment, it has to mean a lot," he added. "I think there have been a lot of races where he can turn it around anyway."
Historic double hopes under pressure
Evenepoel had arrived in the road race with the chance to complete another major road race-time trial double. The Belgian dominated the individual time trial earlier in the championships, putting himself in position to repeat the combination he achieved at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
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As Van der Poel, Van Aert, Roglic and others began forcing the race from distance, Evenepoel was repeatedly left reacting from behind. "I think everyone was already quite at the limit," Nys said. "We will see dead bodies over the last 20 kilometres."
Evenepoel nevertheless remained in the race as the favourites continued to trade attacks deep into the Mont-Royal circuit.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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