Remco Evenepoel sees echoes of Wollongong in Kigali

“The first thing he said was that the course reminded him of Wollongong,” Belgian national coach Serge Pauwels told VTM Nieuws. “And he was right. It also gave me a very different impression than when I came here in March.”

Pauwels explained that the atmosphere of a World Championships transforms the course entirely: “The closed roads and the barriers change the whole experience. Back then I followed the Tour du Rwanda on the course, but this is something else entirely, with the World Championships atmosphere and the obstacles in place.”

It was Evenepoel’s own remark that drew the parallel with Wollongong, where he launched his decisive move and soloed the final 25 kilometres to the rainbow jersey in 2022, and Pauwels quickly endorsed the comparison. “Yes, when he said it, I had to agree with him. The Côte de Kigali Golf reminds me of the steep climb where he rode away from Alexey Lutsenko. The roads are also very fast, and the asphalt is good," Pauwels said. 

"That cobbled climb is obviously new, but it should suit him. Almost all the climbs have a kicker, and that’s exactly what he likes. When everyone is on the limit, he can still shift up a gear.”

The similarities are there for Evenepoel and Pauwels, even if the conditions are different: altitude, thinner air, and heat will all play their part.

Still, optimism reigns in the Belgian camp. “Remco was very hopeful and satisfied,” Pauwels continued. “He’s also quite keen on the smaller loop. That’s where the race could truly be decided.”

After his dominant time trial display, Evenepoel carries the momentum into the road race in his search for a second rainbow jesey, while Pogačar is expected to answer with the kind of force that has defined his reign. 

It hints at the head-to-head many have been waiting for. Others will have their say – Juan Ayuso, Isaac del Toro, Tom Pidcock – but all signs point towards Kigali delivering the clearest confrontation yet between them