"We have to be creative": Belgian selector promises an unorthodox approach to Montréal World Championships

The World Championships will travel to North America in 2026 with the world's biggest one-day cycling race to visit a renowned cycling venue in Montréal, Canada. And while for some national coaches the nomination is not very complicated (such as Slovenia), Belgian head selector Serge Pauwels has one too many appealing options to choose from for the race which doesn't seem as hard as previous editions in Kigali and Zurich.

But what's the right recipe to put two-time world champion Tadej Pogacar under pressure? "There are a lot of riders who could make this team," national coach Serge Pauwels admitted after returning from reconaissance of Montréal course. "If everyone is fit, the list becomes very long."

Unlike the last two years, strong rouleurs like Jasper Stuyven also have a shot at success in Montréal. The local circuit located on and around the Mont Royal (1.6 kilometers at 7.7%) is something most experts on Flemish Classics can handle just as well as their more lean counterparts. And so, the already deep pool of talent in Belgium widens even further.

Then there is Wout van Aert, who is expected to target the race after skipping last year’s Worlds. "He really wants to be there," Pauwels noted. "If you look at the pool we have, I could almost select two teams." The second team of course centered around 2022 world champion Remco Evenepoel.

Pauwels admits that creating a cohesive group of riders with clear hierarchy and tasks is where Belgium's biggest challenge lies. "Races that finish uphill are often decided by him [Pogacar]," the Belgian national coach said. "We need to find the best possible way to respond to that." And having one of the Evenepoel/Van Aert try and anticipate Pogacar's move seems to be a credible strategy. But that's easier said than done.

In any case, Pauwels can afford to gamble a little bit by bringing few extra riders for the final parts of the race while keeping the usual group of helpers to a minimum.

"We don’t have to control the race from start to finish," Pauwels explained. "But we do need to stay alert and help keep things under control. Riders like Remco Evenepoel are comfortable in that kind of situation."

One thing that's clear at this point of the season that only two men can hold Pogacar's wheel on such an effort like the one required on Mont Royal. And, unfortunately for Pauwels, neither of them represents Belgium (Paul Seixas for France and Mathieu van der Poel for Netherlands), but rather their rival teams.

Thus, coming up with counter-measures against the Slovenian phenomenon will be largely up to the Belgian tactician: "We have to be creative," Pauwels admited. "You need to think about how to increase your chances, not just react."

Belgium is expected to build its ambitions around Evenepoel and Van Aert, but the key question remains how to counter a rider who has repeatedly dominated this type of terrain.

"There may be an opportunity in the fact that he won’t have the same level of support as he does with his trade team (UAE Team Emirates - XRG, ed.)," Pauwels said, looking mainly at Primoz Roglic (if present), Matej Mohoric and Jan Tratnik as Pogacar's key henchemen in Montréal. "That could change the dynamic."