Evenepoel makes bold prediction about one rider at the World Championships: 'He can definitely dominate everyone and everything here'
CyclingSaturday, 26 September 2026 at 08:46
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Follow us on GoogleRemco Evenepoel will start Sunday’s World Cycling Championships in Montreal as the clear favourite, so he was a busy man Friday evening (local time) during his final press obligations. The team leader of the Belgian squad has a shot at a historic double, but doesn’t want to get ahead of himself.
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"Stay patient—it's a really long game, a tough game. I'll pick the right moment. And when decisions have to be made, it's time to stop overthinking, stop looking back, and go all out."- Remco Evenepoel, Friday Sept 25
Belgium has two leaders at the World Championships
With Wout van Aert, there’s naturally another team leader. “Yes, that’s right—the goal is for the team not to find itself in a situation where we have to defend. Whenever a breakaway goes, there’s always someone there to go with it.”
"And then, when it comes to the decisive final stretch, it's actually very difficult to predict anything at this point, because it all depends on both Wout and my own instincts, as well as what the exact situation is at that moment," Evenepoel points out.
"I think it's actually an advantage that we're the favorites. Who has to break away alone? I’d say France. That puts some pressure on them. Wout and I can both break away alone, but we can also finish it off in a small group. For Seixas, the race really has to explode to make it as tough as possible.”
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Evenepoel with Lotte Kopecky.
Evenepoel sees Van der Poel as a big threat
The Belgian is certainly keeping an eye on Mathieu van der Poel as well. “I think Mathieu has a very good chance; he’s one of those truly exceptional talents who can rise above his own limits whenever he wants to.”
"He showed he was in great shape in Luxembourg, and, well, if you look at the results Mathieu is posting in Zurich, we might see the same thing in Montreal. I’d even go so far as to say he can win—so if Mathieu has a great day, he can definitely dominate everyone and everything here," he says confidently.
Evenepoel himself has already won the rainbow jersey once in 2022 and would love to do it again. “It means so much—it’s an incredible privilege to wake up and go train in a rainbow jersey. So that just gives me even more motivation to experience that again for another year,” concludes the Belgian, who, without Pogačar, is now the clear favourite.
Read more below the photo!
Evenepoel has already become the world time trial champion.
Evenepoel denies rumours he 'took it easy' at GP Quebec
"Wout and I also know what it's like to be unable to ride because of an injury. It's obviously a shame for him," said the Belgian, who denies rumours that he took it easy in Montreal. "That wasn't really the case. I just didn't feel great after Québec."
"I was pretty happy with my last one and a half laps. I struggled on the long stretch leading up to the climb, but I was still able to sprint for fifth place. It wasn't really a game of hide-and-seek. I’ve been able to recover well over the past two weeks. Last weekend was already better; I’m on track,” nods the world time trial champion.
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Tom van der Salm (27) comes from the charming town of Zeilberg (Deurne) in the Netherlands and has been working as editor-in-chief & journalist at IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, In de Leiderstrui, since 2019. He travels with the peloton from the Tour de France to the AlUla Tour and from the World Championships in Rwanda or Canada to the Zilvermeercross in Mol. In his spare time he enjoys playing football, mountain biking, running, walking with his Labrador/Stabyhoun, investing, holidays, (specialty) beers, reading, cooking and watching sports & documentaries!
Contact: [email protected]
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Latest Comments
- - Wout + Remco “riding in sync” gives me Leuven vibes. If they play it smart—Remco long-range, Wout sprint from a reduced group—Belgium could realmente dominar. Go on lad!michael5426-09-2026
- - Not sure I buy the jet lag bit. Late travel to North America has bitten riders before. Why risk that when others have been in Canada for a week?jennifer1926-09-2026
- - Love that he addressed Pogačar’s absence without gloating. Still, let’s be honest—no Pog means the Belgians have to control different threats, especially MvdP and maybe Hirschi. Gonna be a chess match late doors.sprocketspiny26-09-2026
- - Quick question: when they say the course is “a lot longer now,” how many kilometres are we talking compared to the GP Montréal? And does extra distance really suit Wout over Remco?cadencekingm26-09-2026
- - Proper interview! Wout sounds calm and dialled after that Vuelta block. If he’s carrying that points jersey form into Montréal, he’ll be in the mix on Camillien-Houde every lap.velodromevirtuoso126-09-2026
- - Vamos Isaac! But the article’s right—Mexico won’t be able to support Del Toro if Remco and MVDP turn the screws. Sin equipo fuerte es muy difícil. Still, I’d love a shock podium from him.michael5426-09-2026
- - Quick one: does “same course” literally mean identical to GP Montréal, or just similar laps/elevation? Trying to understand why that rehearsal is such a big indicator.samanthak26-09-2026
- - Is Seixas really 19? That’s a huge load for a Worlds road race. One bad moment and France has no plan B. Seems risky when you’ve got Sivakov and Paret-Peintre there.robert6526-09-2026
- - Remco + WVA with “two strategies” sounds terrifying. If Belgium launches Wout early and keeps Remco in the wheels, who’s marking both? The Brits and Dutch won’t have numbers if it kicks off on the penultimate climb.velodromevirtuoso126-09-2026
- - Love the unity from Les Bleus. Voeckler turning a camp into a proper team-building bootcamp (laundry and cooking!) is genius. If they control the Montreal laps like they did at GP Montréal, Seixas has a real shot. Allez!cadencekingm26-09-2026
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