Gilbert, Van Avermaet and Evenepoel head Belgian selection for Yorkshire World Championships
Belgium packed with biꩲg-name riders for Worlds road race

Belgium has the luxury – or potential hindrance – of arriving at the 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:UCI Road World Championships later this month with multiple riders who have a realistic chance of victory in the elite men's road race. 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Greg Van Avermaet, 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Philippe Gilbert – road race world champion in 2012 – and perhaps even young pretender 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Remco Evenepoel will all fancy their chances on the long, rolling course in Y⭕orkshire, in the UK, at the end o🦹f September.
The trio will beꦆ well supported by this year's Milan-San Remo runner-up Oliver Naesen (AG2R La Mondiale) and Tour de France stage winner Dylan Teuns (Bahrain-Merida) – both of whom could also be in with a shout of victory if the team's leaders are unable to step up.
Three more riders will be named to complete the eight-man team on September 16, according to the Belgian༒ cycling federation.
Although Van Avermaet (CCC Team) hasn't had the♈ best of seasons by his standards, winning only a stage at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana and a ꦰstage at the Tour de Yorkshire so far this year, the 284.5km road course should suit the 34-year-old Olympic road race champion down to the ground.
Veteran Gilbert, at 37 years old, would also dearly love to take a second world title to add to the one he won in Valkenburg seven years ago, and has shown decent form in the lead-up to the race, 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:w🍸inning a stage of the Vuelta a España, where he's curreꦅntly racing with Deceuni🍸nck-QuickStep.
Evenepoel, meanwhile, won the junior road race and time trial titles at last year's Worlds in Innsbruck, Austria, but will skip the under-23 category entirely to race at the elite level at this year's championships. The 19-year-old has had an exceptional debut year in the pro ranks for Deceuninck-QuickStep, winning the Clasica San Sebastian, a stage and the overall at the Baloise Belgium Tour and a stage at the Adriatica Ionica Race, as well as the European time trial championship title in the Netherlands in August, represe🌳nting Belgium.
Evenepoel will again represent Belgium in the ind👍ivid🐎ual time trial on September 25 – alongside his Deceuninck-QuickStep teammate Yves Lampaert and World Hour Record holder Victor Campenaerts (Lotto Soudal) – before turning his attention to the road race on September 29.
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"It wasn't easy to put the selectioꦍn together," national coach Rik Verbrugghe said during the Belgian federation's announcement on Monday, . "There are a lot of riders this year who have shown themselves 🅠to be ready for the World Championships.
"I've had to make some difficult decisions with my selection," Verbrugghe admitted. "The five riders that I've already called up have shown in recent months that they deserve a World Championship ticket. I'll then anno♑unce the other three 🧸names next Monday, when the competitions in Montreal and Quebec [the two Canadian one-day WorldTour events] and also the Vuelta a España are over.
"The courses in Canada are simil🧜ar to the one in Yorkshire, and will give me some excellent indications [of how riders are performing]. I have already contacted the riders involved, and they know that they're eligible for the Worlds. They must now convince me that they should be selected," he said.
While Verbruggh𒊎e admitted that Belgium weren't the favourites – France's Julian Alaphilippe and Mathieu van der Poel of the Netherlands argua🦂bly top the list – he said that they were ambitious and had a strong squad.
"It's now my j༺ob to get everyone pulling in the same direction," said Verbrugghe. "It's important to make clear agreements in advance. But I'm confident that we'll succeed, and that we'll have a good Wor🐠lds."
Of Evenepoel's selection at such a tender age, Verbrugghe added that it's all about the young Belgian gaining experience for future World Championships and 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:next year's Olympic Games.
"We've recently discussed Remco's Worlds selection with h൲is Deceuninck-QuickStep and [team manager] Patrick🍎 Lefevere," said Verbrugghe. "Because Remco himself wanted to go, we've decided to take him.
"Everyone knows that he's something special, and it's not yet clear where his limits ar𝐆e. A course of over 280 kilometres will be tough for such a young rider, but we want him to get a taste of what the Worlds are like. But there's certainly no pressure on him."
Cyclingnews joined Verbrugghe, Naesen and Lampaert when they did a 𓂃reconnaissance ride of the World꧑s course in early June. Their thoughts on the route can be found in the vide💝o below.