Pogacar withdrawal forces Belgium to rethink Worlds plan

National coach Serge Pauwels had already started working on a strategy for Remco Evenepoel and Wout van Aert, but Pogačar’s absence has changed the dynamics of the race and increased the pressure on Belgium to take responsibility.

“His absence changes the race. It makes a huge difference,” Pauwels told Sporza on Monday after announcing Belgium’s selection. “With Pogačar there, he would have determined how the race unfolded. Now we have the role of favourites, and we cannot avoid that.”

Belgium will start with two leaders in Evenepoel and Van Aert, both with realistic ambitions of winning the rainbow jersey.

That gives Pauwels options, but it also makes clarity essential, particularly at a World Championships where riders race without team radios.

“We have two leaders who want to win,” Pauwels said. “It is about the mandate I give them and the responsibility they have to take in the race. When can they attack? When do they have to wait? I want that to be very clear.”

Both riders will go into the race with a clearly defined role, with the strategy designed around their respective routes to victory.

“I start from how they see the ideal scenario to win,” he said. “Then I try to find a good mix of their preferred scenarios. I put that into one plan and discuss it with the team.”

Those conversations had already started, but Pogačar’s withdrawal has sent Pauwels back to the drawing board. The first detailed tactical meeting is expected around ten days before the road race.

The challenge will be to use the different strengths of Belgium’s two leaders without allowing the race to become predictable.

Evenepoel offers the possibility of making the difference from distance, while Van Aert gives Belgium another option if a select group remains together later in the race.

Pauwels also wants both riders to have support close to them when the race reaches its decisive phase. Quinten Hermans is expected to stay with Van Aert, while Gianni Vermeersch will primarily work around Evenepoel.

Pogačar’s withdrawal does not necessarily make Belgium’s task any less complex. With the Slovenian absent, Pauwels expects more responsibility to fall on his team, but he is determined not to let Belgium do all the work.

“That does not mean we have to carry the race for 270 kilometres,” he said. “We have riders who can help turn the race to our advantage in an intelligent way. Taking responsibility does not mean riding foolishly on the front.”

That balance will be central to Belgium’s approach in Montréal. Evenepoel and Van Aert give the team two clear routes to victory, but their strength could also encourage rival nations to wait for Belgium to take control.

On paper, that may still be an easier challenge than finding a way to beat Pogačar.