Van Avermaet explains ideal World Championship scenario for Van der Poel and Van Aert: 'Then they are favorites to finish it off'

Evenepoel won the GP Québec, but had an off day later at the GP Montréal. “You can’t forget that jet lag is a factor,” Van Avermaet said, putting things into perspective in an interview with Sporza. “That’s pretty tough. He also did an altitude training camp, where he must have worked really hard. I think the supercompensation will come a little later. The body is a strange thing sometimes.”

That makes racing on the other side of the Atlantic difficult. “It’s not always a matter of math. It’s still the human body. I’ve made that trip myself plenty of times,” said Van Avermaet, who has won twice in Montréal. “You don’t fly out until Thursday and arrive at the hotel very late. You only get to warm up a few times, and then those two races are right there.”

According to the Belgian, Evenepoel will be fine thanks to the weeks between those races and the World Championships. “I think things will fall into place after those two races. If you can then squeeze in a block of two or three really good training days, I think that will help him improve a bit. The altitude training effect hasn’t kicked in yet either. I think he came to Québec just a little too soon after that altitude training camp, so that effect probably hasn’t kicked in yet.”

The fifth-place finish in Montréal did come as something of a surprise to Van Avermaet. But that doesn’t say anything about the World Championships. “To be honest, I thought Montréal would suit him even better than Québec, but apparently he just had an off day yesterday. Still, that keeps him on his toes and alert. It also makes it clear that it won’t be a sure thing. Even without Pogacar, the competition is fierce.”

As someone who’s been there, Van Avermaet knows why it will be so difficult in Canada. “It’s mainly the succession of those climbs. That’s definitely going to be tough.” The elevation gain in Montréal should definitely not be underestimated. For the climbers, that five-minute climb isn’t ideal. But because of the succession of climbs, they’ll really get to show what they’re made of. Riders like Del Toro and Seixas are explosive enough to survive that.”

And so the heavier riders like Van Aert and Van der Poel will have a slightly tougher time. Still, the Olympic champion counts them among the contenders. “On a good day, those guys can handle it.” After that long climb, there’s still the climb up to the university. That’s right up their alley. The finish line is also on a slight incline, so if they ride there in a small group, they’re definitely the big favorites to take the win.”

Van Avermaet knows the Belgian team will be in good shape with two team leaders. “Wout is going to come out of the Vuelta in great shape, with a lot of confidence. It’s pretty much the same for Remco,” though they must be careful not to get overconfident. “I think the key is not to take too much control of the race, but we also can’t let it slip out of our hands.”