There was an impromptu celebration for Remco Evenepoel on the Belgian lodge in Wetzikon on Sunday night after he had received his second successive time trial world title, however the man of the hour was already casting his thoughts forward to a different urgent appointment subsequent weekend.
“Our World Championships week has began properly,” Evenepoel stated on the finish of his brief speech. “On to extra.”
At the Paris 2024 Olympics, Evenepoel adopted his victory within the time trial with an astonishing solo victory within the street race, and the 24-year-old is now in search of a outstanding ‘double double’ by sweeping the elite males’s medals on the World Championships.
Indeed, for the reason that self-discipline was first launched to the schedule in Agrigento in 1994, no elite male time trial world champion has gone on to win the street race later within the week. Miguel Induráin got here closest in Boyacá in 1995, successful the time trial in Tunja earlier than having to accept silver behind compatriot Abraham Olano the next Sunday.
Evenepoel achieved the double as a junior in Innsbruck in 2018, and he’s unlikely to be daunted by the precedent of the previous three many years of Worlds time trialling. The week-long hole between the 2 occasions nowadays – versus the outdated three-day turnaround – ought to theoretically facilitate his job.
“I should recuperate properly within the subsequent two days, after which I’ll have two good trainings on Wednesday and Thursday,” Evenepoel stated within the combined zone after his time trial win. “Then it’s going to be restoration for Sunday.”
Evenepoel thanked the Belgian delegation by ordering a stack of takeaway pizzas to their lodge on Sunday night, and he additionally used his speech to playfully urge federation president Tom Van Damme to attempt to speak nationwide coach Sven Vanthourenhout out of stepping down from his put up after these Worlds. “If I had been the federation, I’d negotiate once more,” Evenepoel quipped.
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Previously cyclocross coach, Vanthourenhout took over the reins of the elite males’s street workforce in 2021. Under his steering, Evenepoel has received the Worlds street race in Wollongong in 2022, two time trial world titles and, in fact, these two Olympic gold medals.
At Vanthourenhout’s first Worlds in Leuven in 2021, he needed to attempt to strike a stability between the competing ambitions of Evenepoel and Wout van Aert. With Van Aert an absentee this 12 months on account of harm, the Belgian squad’s problem on the street race is constructed squarely round Evenepoel. Speaking in Zurich on Sunday night, Evenepoel acknowledged that the time trial victory meant his Worlds was already a hit.
“It takes away a little bit of stress, let’s say,” Evenepoel stated. “Winning this jersey once more goes to permit me to reside somewhat bit extra relaxed in direction of subsequent Sunday. I’m fairly assured. My legs are there, that’s clear.”
“I can nonetheless enhance a bit in direction of subsequent Sunday, like I did within the Olympics as properly. I’ll simply attempt to reside subsequent week as relaxed as attainable and in a great way, attempting to maintain my physique, after which all the pieces needs to be effective. I ought to hopefully be prepared for an excellent efficiency once more subsequent Sunday.”
Zürich
The elite males’s time trial set out from the Oerlikon velodrome, web site of the end line of the Züri-Metzgete, whereas the demanding course of the elite males’s street race options terrain that when featured on the route of the demanding however sadly discontinued Classic.
“I feel it’s a bit between a little bit of a lightweight model of Lombardia and Liège, it’s a mixture of that,” Evenepoel stated. “Of course, the riders who’re a bit lighter have a small benefit, but in addition the Classics guys can survive if they’ve good days. We would possibly count on a really particular race that may go in a number of instructions.”
All instructed, the race options some 4,470m of altitude achieve, whereas the grand finale is offered by seven laps of a 27km circuit that brings riders over the stiff climb of Witikon. Tadej Pogačar underscored his favorite standing by successful the Grand Prix de Montréal final week, whereas Evenepoel is arguably the one rider who would again himself in a head-to-head contest with the Slovenian.
“I feel for me it’s clear. I would like to remain centered and never lose an excessive amount of vitality within the begin after which attempt to discover a good second to go – or else have the legs to go along with the large names after they go,” Evenepoel stated.
“I’ll attempt to learn the race in addition to attainable, as a result of it’s a metropolis circuit and that’s all the time particular. It’s not precisely like final 12 months [in Glasgow] however it’s nonetheless a metropolis circuit with some steep kickers, so we’re going to see the way it goes.
“Normally it ought to keep dry, in order that’s already a optimistic factor. But it would go in a number of instructions – there is perhaps a man alone, we’d go along with two or three to the end, we’d go along with a bunch of ten to the end. It can actually go in each course. I didn’t see the native lap but, however we are going to do some recons throughout subsequent week. I hope for a protracted and difficult race, in fact, like Paris.”
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