"A course where many things are not possible, but that also means many things are possible"; Moerenhout sees opportunities for his World Championship leaders

The Dutch team is currently staying at the beautiful Marriott Hotel in Kigali. “It could be worse,” says the national coach with a sense of nuance. “We have a perfect hotel and everything has gone well so far in terms of the top-class sporting setting. There is some smog in the city, but that affects everyone. We have been able to do everything we need to in terms of quality in the run-up to the World Championships.”

Moerenhout explored the course in December and is well aware of its challenges. "You have to deal with the race, the course, and then the conditions. It's really tough, especially with the extra loop around Mount Kigali. It's a climb in three stages, but it's really steep. It's a wide road, and you can't see how steep it is, but you can definitely feel it. You come to a complete standstill, and after a short descent, you reach the Wall of Kigali."

"I expect that lap to play a huge role," he continues. "You have a race before that climb and after that climb. So we shouldn't make it more complicated than it is: this race won't lie. One effort too many and you're out. It's best to go before the top riders, but you also can't go too early. I expect a certain amount of control until Mount Kigali and hopefully we can compete from there, although that climb can also have a paralyzing effect."

"I don't think any team will make it to the finish line complete," Moerenhout states without hesitation. “If you get dropped, you're done. You'll be 15 minutes behind, and then you'll be taken out. Those climbs are also challenging, coming in quick succession. From that climb on the golf course, you only have a short descent where you can recover, and then that cobbled climb follows again.”

“The Belgians, together with the Slovenians, are the favorites,” he says, referring to the countries of Remco Evenepoel and Tadej Pogacar. Where do we place the Dutch in that mix? "Thymen and Bauke both have their own specific qualities. Thymen is riding his first World Championships, which is already a great experience after the reasonable time trial he rode. Bauke has a little more experience. Both will benefit from a wear-and-tear battle, in the hope that the others will also lose some of their sharpness.

"I think Thymen and Bauke will find it an ideal course. We are certainly not the favorites, but that doesn't mean you can't ride a good race or achieve a good result. Everyone will lose some of their sharpness, so everyone will have to conserve their energy," the national coach warns his participants for Sunday.

“We don't really have a leader among ourselves. It's a course where many things are not possible, but that also means many things are possible,” he adds. “It's not like other years, where we have a leader like Mathieu van der Poel. It's a bit more open, but then the race conditions have to fall into place.”