Remco Evenepoel is convinced: "On this World Championship course, you’re not talking about 10 favorites"

Last Sunday was perhaps the moment of the entire World Championships: Evenepoel's overtaking maneuver on Pogacar in the time trial. Pogacar briefly looked back on it on Thursday. “Maybe he wanted some revenge because Jonas Vingegaard overtook him himself in the Tour. It was good for him: he erased a bad moment. On Sunday, it may be my turn to erase that bad feeling,” said the Slovenian.

Evenepoel logically wants to prevent that. The reigning Olympic champion knows that he will find a course in Rwanda that suits him, and last Sunday he demonstrated that he is perhaps the rider best able to cope with the rather extreme conditions in Central Africa. Although that does not, of course, offer any guarantees for the road race.

Remco, how are you feeling?
"Good."

Great. Did you watch the U23 race and learn anything from it?
"We watched it, but now that the U23 rules have changed, it may be a different kind of race. They came in one by one, which shows how tough it was."

Will an eager Pogacar change anything?
“No. I've gotten a boost, and we're sticking to the plan, but we shouldn't be too motivated either. Tadej is the best rider in the world. I also think I should speak after the race, rather than before.”

Everyone is talking about you and Tadej, but are we forgetting somebody?
“I expect a lot from Tom Pidcock and Jay Vine. Isaac del Toro is also doing very well, but on this course, you can't talk about 10 favorites. We all know that.”

What about Richard Carapaz and Egan Bernal, who are at altitude?
“It's a one-day race, not a Grand Tour. Besides, we're not reaching 2,000 meters. 1,400 meters is high, but not extremely high. We simply don't know, but we're certainly not forgetting them.”

Are you disappointed that not everyone is there?
“Those who aren't there don't matter. It's a missed opportunity for them.”

How important will Mount Kigali be?
“It's the first important point. We'll have already done nine laps, and it's a very tough climb after four hours of cycling. Many riders will struggle there, also because of the altitude.”

After the time trial, you compared the course to that of the Amstel Gold Race, but can you compare the conditions to anything else?
"No, not really. Take Tokyo 2021, the Olympic Games, for example. It was also hot there, but the humidity was much higher. Perhaps the conditions are closer to a hot Vuelta stage."

Are you already used to it?
“On the first day, I had to get used to the heat and air quality, but now I'm completely accustomed to it.”

Which climb is your favorite?
“If you don't like climbing, you shouldn't be here. So I don't really have a favorite on this circuit.”