“This boy has lived up to all expectations once again" - Belgium team coach sends playful warning to Evenepoel after time trial glory
CyclingMonday, 21 September 2026 at 10:06
Remco Evenepoel's affinity for board games helped him connect four on Sunday as the Belgian won his fourth time trial world title in a row, emphatically beating the rest of the field in the 39.2km race against the clock in Montreal.
The Belgian sensation was the hot favourite and has rarely tasted defeat in time trials over the past few seasons. However, with Filippo Ganna, Paul Seixas and Jakob Sqodervist among others posting strong times, eyes turned to Evenepoel last off the grid to see where the Red Bull rider was at.
The 26-year-old answered the question right from the first intermediate time check as it became clear that he was head and shoulders above the competition, ultimately besting Ganna in second by 57 seconds and 1:13 ahead of Seixas in the bronze medal position.
Belgium national team coach Serge Pauwels was jubilant in the aftermath, heaping praise on his history-making rider as he basked in another world title glory.
“Huge congratulations. We take it for granted that he takes home the title, but it is pure class. Hats off,” Pauwels told Sporza.
“This boy has lived up to all expectations once again. It was a pleasure to ride behind him again. As always, he has shown what he is capable of.”
Evenepoel celebrates winning the time trial world title
Evenepoel sent playful warning
Evenepoel shared a funny anecdote about forgetting to reply to his coach as he became embroiled in a game of 'Risk' with his teammates mid-week. For Pauwels, that's fine by him once Evenepoel's road race performance next week doesn't repeat the 2025 championships.
Referring to Ludo, Pauwels compared his 2025 road race to the chaotic game that relies on chance and random-ness of dice throws - playfully pointing to the two bike changes the Belgian had to do during that race.
“On Thursday evening, I sent a WhatsApp to Remco. It took three hours for him to reply: ‘Sorry for replying so late. We were playing Risk'.
"Today he played a different board game: Connect Four. I just hope you don’t play Ludo again on Sunday, like in Rwanda"
Evenepoel reacts to time trial performance
Breaking down his time trial, Evenepoel admitted that he thought he went too hard at the start of the effort, but enjoyed the design of the course as he kept his best legs throughout the effort.
"It's amazing. It was obviously the goal to come her and win for the fourth time in a row," he admitted in a post-race interview.
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"It was a very demanding course with a technical start and finish, a powerful part in the middle. I'm super happy, it was a wonderful experience."
Evenepoel admits however that he thought he was going too hard at the start, but that didn't turn out to be the case. "Honestly yeah, after 6 k [ilometers] we had a personal time check and I knew I was already ahead of the rest. I thought in the first intermediate I kind of over paced, but I could kind of keep pushing."
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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