Evenepoel and Van Aert must wait to discover Belgium’s Worlds masterplan

With less than two weeks to go until the elite men’s road race, Belgium’s two leaders are approaching the event from very different directions.

Van Aert has just completed the Vuelta a España, where he won two stages and the green jersey after three demanding weeks of racing. Evenepoel, meanwhile, has already tested himself on Canadian roads, winning the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec before finishing fifth in Montréal two days later.

For Pauwels, the signs are encouraging.

“We have known for a while that our two leaders are riding well,” the Belgian coach told Sporza.

There had been more uncertainty around Evenepoel after a period without competition following the Clásica San Sebastián, but his immediate victory in Québec provided a clear indication of his condition.

His fifth place in Montréal was less spectacular, though Pauwels believes the result needs to be viewed in context.

“He told me himself that he had a slightly worse day,” Pauwels said. “He had just come back from altitude and after that he always lacks a little bit of punch for a few days.

“He was very strong in Québec, but he had to go very deep there. Montréal came less than 48 hours later.”

Evenepoel was equally relaxed about his result in Montréal after finishing 35 seconds behind winner Isaac del Toro.

“You’re probably going to make me the worst rider in the world now,” he joked to Sporza after the finish.

“If this was a bad day, it wasn’t that bad. And it’s better to have a bad day today than in two weeks at the World Championships.”

The Worlds road race will also be around 60 kilometres longer than the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal, something Evenepoel believes could change the dynamic significantly.

“It will be a very different race with a lot more fatigue,” he said. “Less explosive and more about endurance.”

Van Aert, meanwhile, leaves the Vuelta with two stage wins, the green jersey and three weeks of racing in his legs.

Pauwels expects the Visma rider to benefit from that workload once he has recovered.

“He rode a very strong Vuelta,” Pauwels said. “He will be ready in two weeks. Riders like him often get another peak in form one to three weeks after a Grand Tour.”

Van Aert also left Spain confident about his condition.

“Perfection doesn’t exist,” he told Eurosport. “I definitely have good legs and a big goal. We need to try and recover from this Vuelta and then we go for Montréal.”

Thibau Nys and Gianni Vermeersch will also arrive in Canada after completing the Vuelta.

Although the full Belgian selection will only come together in Canada next week, Pauwels says the core of his tactical plan is already in place.

He is not yet willing to reveal what that means for Evenepoel and Van Aert.

“I have an idea, but I’m not going to tell you yet,” he said.

Pauwels will travel to Canada on Wednesday and plans to speak with Evenepoel before presenting the strategy to the rest of the team well before race day.

“Once I’m in Canada, I’ll fine tune it one last time with Evenepoel and then I’ll launch it to the riders well in advance so they can get the plan into their heads.”

Van Aert is expected to arrive on Tuesday, September 22, leaving Belgium several days to bring the entire group together and go through the possible race scenarios.

That preparation will be particularly important because riders will compete without radio communication during the World Championships.

“The Worlds are raced without earpieces, so there is very little you can adjust during the race,” Pauwels said. “The riders will have to anticipate the changing circumstances themselves.”

It puts greater emphasis on Belgium entering the race with clearly defined roles, particularly with two riders capable of winning in very different ways.

Belgium will not be the only nation arriving in Montréal with multiple options.

Pauwels pointed to Del Toro and Seixas after the pair emerged as the strongest riders in Sunday’s race, distancing their main rivals on the final ascent before fighting out the victory between them.

“I think Del Toro and Seixas are the biggest competitors,” he said.

Pauwels also singled out Tom Pidcock and Mathieu van der Poel among the riders Belgium will have to watch closely.

“Pidcock is in incredible form,” Pauwels said. “And then you still have Mathieu van der Poel. There is a little bit more of a question mark over his form.”

Van der Poel will race the Tour de Luxembourg before travelling to Canada, providing one final indication of his condition.

“But you always have to take him into account,” Pauwels added. “If he makes the trip to Canada, it’s not just to fill the peloton.”

For Belgium, there are fewer questions surrounding their own leaders.

Evenepoel has already won on Canadian soil and tested himself on the Montréal circuit. Van Aert leaves the Vuelta with victories, confidence and three weeks of racing in his legs.

The final tactical details remain inside Pauwels’ head for now.

Next week, Evenepoel, Van Aert and the rest of the Belgian squad will find out exactly how he intends to turn that form into a rainbow jersey.