Remco Evenepoel delivers bad news for Pogacar ahead of World Championships: "I don’t want to shout it from the rooftops"
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Follow us on GoogleRemco Evenepoel is in excellent shape, he told HLN on Friday after his first recon of the time trial course for the World Cycling Championships in Rwanda. The Belgian has often not been at his best this season, but with the battle for the rainbow jerseys approaching, he may well have planned it all perfectly.
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Of course, many riders would have signed up for a year like Evenepoel had in 2025, but after a training accident in December, things didn't go quite as planned. He only started in April in the Brabantse Pijl, and although he won it straight away, he still fell short in the other Ardennes classics. In Romandy, he won the time trial, but was not yet able to keep up with the best on the climbs.
In the Critérium du Dauphiné, that trend continued, with another win in the time trial, but after a fifth place in Romandy, he now finished fourth in the overall classification. After winning the Belgian time trial title, he seemed to be heading for the Tour de France with confidence, but after fourteen days of suffering, he gave up. It turned out that he had started with a broken rib.
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Excellent preparation is good for Evenepoel
After Evenepoel restarted in early August, he rode the Tour of Britain (where he won the penultimate stage) and headed for the World Championships at altitude. And that has paid off, emphasized the Olympic time trial and road champion the day before the World Championship time trial. “I don't want to shout it from the rooftops, but I don't think I've been in better shape this year than I am now.”
According to Evenepoel, that makes sense, because: “I had a solid preparation, a long month of training, and I now also have five months of competition in the legs, like everyone else who has done the Tour. So it's not illogical that I feel better now than I have all season. That's also what we expected after the winter. It's the first time I've been able to finish everything really well in training.”
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Evenepoel wants to turn around 'difficult season' at World and European Championships
On Friday, Evenepoel spoke of ‘a difficult season’, which he says he can still brighten up at the World Championships, European Championships, and Tour of Lombardy. He is already the top favorite for the time trials at the championships, as Evenepoel won this year in Romandy, the Dauphiné, the Belgian Championship, and the Tour de France time trial, despite not being in top form. How will that go with super legs?
Bad news for Tadej Pogacar and others who want to challenge him on Sunday. The fast rider, who will be riding for Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe from 2026, also sees a perfect course for a third consecutive World Championship time trial title. “It's a course I like: wide, lots of straights, not technical, lots of positioning.” His highly praised aerodynamic position also comes into its own.
“There will also be a lot of pace changes because it's constantly up and down—which doesn't make it any easier—but I actually like that,” says Evenepoel, who will have to pace himself for the most challenging climbs at the end. “It's often uphill, but this isn't a mountain stage. These are hills, similar to those found in the Ardennes or the Amstel Gold Race. Efforts of four to five minutes.”
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Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
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Latest Comments
- I’m still learning the calendar: is cyclocross mainly preparation for the spring classics, or does he race it as a separate goal as well? I’d love to see him back in the mud.jeremya04-11-2026
- The article makes it sound as if Roubaix is the only classic where he has a realistic shot. He’s been close in Flanders too, and one good tactical day can change everything.jennifer1904-11-2026
- Milan-Sanremo and Roubaix is a pretty special pair of Monuments. Any clues yet on which cyclocross races he’ll target?andrewf04-11-2026
- He’s right to be realistic about Flanders with Pogačar and Evenepoel around, but you can’t count Van Aert out on those roads. If he gets the right opportunity, he has the engine and experience to take it.davidm04-11-2026
- That Roubaix win felt like such a release after all the near-misses. Brilliant to hear that joy outweighed relief for Wout.patriciaw04-11-2026
- Why would a mountain time trial be different from a normal one? Is it just that the riders have to climb the whole course?samanthak03-11-2026
- I don’t quite buy the “fear of failure” argument. Riders can race the Giro and still have confidence in July; it comes down to recovery and planning, doesn’t it?patriciaw03-11-2026
- The Giro-Tour double is a massive ask, even for the very best. Pogačar made it look almost routine in 2024, but that’s hardly a sensible benchmark for everyone else!pedalpowe2903-11-2026
- Bakelants makes a fair point: if the 2027 Tour really suits Remco, he can’t afford to dilute the build-up. That 37km flat TT will be tempting, mind.julien03-11-2026
- Mont Blanc sounds like a spectacular finish, though four climbs on the final day might be a bit much after eight hard stages. Hope the route details are clear soon.raceready703-11-2026