Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) described Wout van Aert’s season-ending harm on the Vuelta a España as “a giant loss” for Belgium forward of the UCI Road World Championships in Zurich later this month.
Van Aert crashed closely on a descent throughout stage 16 of the Spanish Grand Tour and was compelled to desert the race. Visma-Lease a Bike later confirmed that the 29-year-old wouldn’t race once more in 2024.
Although no squad announcement had been made, Van Aert and Evenepoel have been anticipated to compete of their nationwide staff equipment in each the person time trial and the highway race in Switzerland.
Speaking to Cyclingnews on the Tour of Britain, Evenepoel mentioned: “It’s a giant loss for us however that’s how biking goes. We’ll must discover a good one to interchange him, however I feel the nationwide staff coach is aware of what to do.
“We may have anticipated [him ending his season] with the form of harm he had. An harm on the knee is at all times fairly difficult to take care of, particularly when you’ve gotten an harm like he has now. So I feel he’s skilled and sufficiently old to determine for himself what’s finest and I feel it’s the fitting determination that he has made now,” the double Olympic Champion added.
It means Evenepoel, who podiumed the Tour de France on his debut this summer time, will head to Zurich for battle in opposition to the likes of Tadej Pogačar and Mathieu van der Poel with out his typical foil within the bunch for firm.
However, the Soudal Quick-Step talisman believes his nationwide staff have the power in depth to negate Van Aert’s loss, explaining: “It’s a fairly demanding course however I feel we [Belgium] have some riders which have stepped up this yr so I feel we’ll have some choices to interchange Wout. Of course, it’s tough to interchange him however we now have no different choice.”
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Despite the eye being on his World Championships ambitions, Evenepoel has been lacking from the sharp finish of the race through the Tour of Britain, describing his week as far as “struggling via.”
Accepting that his exploits over the summer time have taken their toll, he added: “For me, it’s a rebuild after the Olympics and the Tour so I’m simply struggling via, I feel two days in the past was a very good day for me however yesterday with the rain and the unhealthy climate, I felt a bit empty.”
“I’ve carried out a month in 40 levels so then coming right here in 10 levels and rain wasn’t actually a pleasure for me so I’m simply struggling via and doing my finest to assist the staff as effectively.”
The 24-year-old may also intention so as to add one other Monument to his palmarès earlier than the yr is out, confirming that he’ll finish his season at Il Lombardia on October 12.
“I’ll end my season with the Italian Classics and the Worlds, Il Lombardia shall be my final one.”