Evenepoel wants rivals to make first move at road worlds

Remco Evenepoel wants Belgium to avoid making the first big attack in Sunday's world championship road race in Montreal. He believes his and co-leader Wout van Aert's sprinting ability gives them the freedom to wait rather than force an early split. [1]

Speaking to Belgian media at the team hotel near Montreal, in comments reported by ANP and published by Nieuws.nl on 26 September 2026, Evenepoel singled out Paul Seixas's French team as one that should take responsibility for controlling the race. [1]

He left open the possibility of attacking himself later, however. Evenepoel said he wanted to draw other countries into action first, warning that riders could quickly overextend themselves on the circuit. [1]

Evenepoel accepted his status as a favourite, pointing to recent victories in San Sebastian and Quebec. But Isaac del Toro and Seixas both beat him in the Montreal Grand Prix, held on the championship circuit. He named both as contenders, describing that race as informative without treating it as decisive. [1]

Van Aert, meanwhile, rated his own chances as comparable to Mathieu van der Poel's. He said the climb could push both riders to their limits and expected the Dutchman to be closely watched by the field. [1]