Dad and Merckx wouldlLove to see Evenepoel go after the hour record: "His aerodynamics are incredible"

Three world titles in a row; only Tony Martin and Michael Rogers have achieved a better feat than Evenepoel. A fourth world title would not only put the Belgian alongside Martin and Fabian Cancellara, but if he does it next year, he will be the only rider to have achieved this four times in a row. But after that, his next goal could well lie outside road cycling.

The world hour record is currently held by Filippo Ganna (56.792 km), but if it were up to Patrick Evenepoel, Remco's father, we would see his son attempt to surpass it in the future. “Maybe,” he tells Sudinfo. “We haven't talked about it directly yet, but I think he'll be interested in it at some point. It's exactly the kind of challenge that could appeal to him.”

With his fantastic aerodynamic values—and his performance at altitude in Kigali—it's not inconceivable that the Belgian could smash Ganna's record in the future. “He knows it's a different discipline, but he has the qualities to succeed. Time trials remain his specialty, and he is already focusing on his fourth world title. After that, the world hour record could be a new highlight to conquer.”

The last Belgian to hold the world hour record was Victor Campenaerts. In 2019, he rode a distance of 55 kilometers and 89 meters in Aguascalientes, Mexico. He was the first Belgian to hold the record since 1972, when Eddy Merckx beat the distance set by Denmark's Ole Ritter. The Cannibal achieved a distance of 49 kilometers and 431 meters.

Merckx agrees with Evenepoel senior about the world hour record. He is eager to see Evenepoel take a shot at it, but also hopes that Pogacar will join the fray. “Pogacar is the best, most versatile rider there is. But Evenepoel has incredible aerodynamics,” Merckx analyses in Le Soir. “It would be great if they took on this challenge.”