The World Cycling Championships haven't even started yet, but Remco Evenepoel has already thrown his first jab

Evenepoel has been in Canada for some time now, having competed in the GP Québec and GP Montréal last weekend following a training camp. The Belgian made a strong impression and won in Québec, but his legs weren't as strong when the race took place in Montréal two days later. Evenepoel finished fifth.

Fortunately for the Belgian, he was able to quickly shift his focus to something else: the World Time Trial Championships. The elite men’s race will be held on Sunday, September 20, also in Montreal. Evenepoel has won the last three time trials at the World Championships and is therefore eager to go for his fourth world title.

On a 39.2-kilometer course, the big engines seem to have the advantage, so Evenepoel—who is highly skilled in aerodynamics and technology—would have liked to make the course reconnaissance an intensive project. However, he’ll have more than two hours to do so on Saturday.

Evenepoel had been riding his time trial bike all week, as seen in footage and on his Strava account. By Thursday, Evenepoel had already logged nearly 110 kilometers on his Specialized racing beast. He also did a recovery ride on the time trial bike. Another extensive reconnaissance ride is scheduled for Saturday, though it won’t be all that extensive.

"It's frustrating that we only get two hours to scout the course, especially on a route that's nearly 40 kilometers long," said a critical Evenepoel. On Friday, he referred to it as "a puzzle," noting that he might not examine certain parts of the course as closely in order to free up more time for other sections.

"Fortunately, it's the same for everyone," added the top favorite for Sunday's race. Evenepoel is, however, known for his meticulous preparations. It's no coincidence that he went to a racetrack to perfect the World Championship time trial down to the last detail.

Since the course is almost entirely flat, van Evenepoel felt it could have been a little longer. “Although nearly three-quarters of an hour is still a long effort, especially on the long, straight roads. You’ll be under constant pressure on the pedals.”

Strangely enough, the Montreal GP has actually given me confidence that a good time trial strategy could be the key to success. “I was able to close the gap by 15 seconds there, which shows that you can really make up some time if you still have something left in the tank. Hopefully, it won’t come down to that.”

Filippo Ganna has been named as Evenepoel’s main challenger. The Italian will have a course tailor-made for him, given his powerful thighs. “He’ll be dangerous, with his track cycling background. Ganna can really ride very fast for 2 or 3 kilometers. It’ll be a closer race than last year.”

At Rwanda 2025, Evenepoel opened up a lead of over a minute on his closest rival, Jay Vine. Ganna did not compete due to the mountainous course.