"There’s no reason why things shouldn’t go perfectly" – Belgian coach Serge Pauwels expects Remco Evenepoel to complete time trial clean sweep in the Ardèche

Belgium arrive at the 2025 European Championships in the Ardèche with the spotlight firmly fixed on Remco Evenepoel. Fresh from claiming a historic third consecutive world time trial title in Kigali, the 25-year-old is now on the cusp of completing an unprecedented clean sweep of the discipline’s major honours. Already the reigning World and Belgian national champion, and with his Olympic title from Paris still fresh in the memory, victory on Tuesday would make him the simultaneous holder of every available major time trial crown.

National coach Serge Pauwels believes there is no reason why Evenepoel cannot deliver yet again. Speaking on the eve of the race, he pointed to the challenging conditions as the only real complication. “The wind is blowing hard here, mostly as a headwind on the course,” Pauwels explained in comments to VTM Nieuws. “It should ease a little later in the day, which could favour the late starters. For Remco, that’s certainly not bad. But he’s so aerodynamic that it shouldn’t be a problem anyway. The main thing will be keeping the bike under control, because the wind really is quite strong.”

Evenepoel’s form could scarcely be in sharper contrast to the turbulence of his summer. Having endured a disrupted lead-in to the World Championships, he nevertheless produced one of his most commanding performances in Kigali, catching Tadej Pogacar on the road and setting a benchmark that no rival could approach. His dominance not only delivered another rainbow jersey but also confirmed Belgium’s depth in the discipline, with Ilan van Wilder joining him on the podium in third place.

For Pauwels, the message ahead of the European Championships is simple: focus on the task at hand. “I spoke to Remco over breakfast and he feels good, he slept well. He just needs to concentrate on this time trial and not think about the travel or what’s behind him. The past few days have been calm – he trained lightly, he rested, nothing hectic. We must always be aware that things can turn out a little less well, and that wouldn’t be a disgrace. But there’s no reason why it shouldn’t go perfectly.”

Should Evenepoel prevail in the Ardèche, he would secure yet another line in the history books. To simultaneously wear the rainbow bands, the Olympic rings, the European stars and the Belgian tricolour in the same discipline would be an achievement unmatched in modern cycling – a true grand slam of the stopwatch. Few would bet against him adding it to his already remarkable palmarès.