Ilan Van Wilder’s bronze podium brings disbelief and ‘flashbacks’

“Did I ever consider this? Never,” he admitted afterwards to Sporza. “No, really not. I had mentioned the top 10 as a cautious ambition, I secretly hoped for a top 8, but once I landed in that hotseat I began to hope for a top 5.”

As the afternoon unfolded, rider after rider failed to dislodge him. Even Tadej Pogačar, expected to sweep past, fell short by a single second. Only Jay Vine and world champion Remco Evenepoel went faster. “I saw a lot of guys blow up in the second half, and I knew I had paced my effort perfectly,” Van Wilder said. “I never stalled. That’s why I took third place.”

The race offered its own moments of theatre. When Remco Evenepoel thundered past Pogačar out on the course, the Slovenian briefly tried to cling on. Van Wilder, watching from the hotseat, could only chuckle. “Yes, that was a bit exciting,” he laughed. 

“But the moment Remco passed Tadej, it must have been a mental blow for him. In the end it worked out. And it was just incredible what Remco did, I saw him flying like a comet.”

For Van Wilder, the medal felt like overdue recognition. “I have been given a great opportunity by the federation and by Serge Pauwels to finally take part in a World Championships. It was the perfect chance for me considering the circumstances – the course, the altitude, the heat… I like all of that – and I made the most of it.”

Sharing a podium with Evenepoel was also a throwback to another time. “That happened a lot back then,” Van Wilder said. “I immediately thought back to 2018, when we finished first and second at the European Championships in the Czech Republic as juniors. I got some flashbacks so many years later.”

It was, remarkably, his first podium in a time trial since turning professional. With Evenepoel departing Soudal–Quick Step, the question of where Van Wilder goes next naturally arises. 

“Yes, I think so,” he reflected. “But I also have to be honest with myself and realise that I need tough courses. I am consistent, but I need a hard day to deliver a performance. And that’s what I got here.”

Attention now shifts to the road race, where Belgian ambitions have only grown. “I think so too,” Van Wilder said. “We also have the advantage that we will be a bit more acclimatised. Now not to do anything crazy, just enjoy and rest a little, and then it will be fine for the road race as well.”