Remco Evenepoel believes the World Championships course in Montréal will be right on the limit for rivals Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert.
“Given the way the longer climb is raced, it’s really difficult for the heavier riders,” he told Wielerflits.
“If you look at the average weight of the top 10, we’re probably looking at around 63 or 65 kilograms,” says Evenepoel. “They aren’t heavy men, but riders like Wout and Mathieu can survive this on their best days,” he adds.
Of that top 10 from the GP Montreal, Quinn Simmons is the heaviest rider, weighing approximately 72kg. Van der Poel and Van Aert are estimated to weigh 75 kg and 78 kg, respectively.
“Another difference is that we’ll be riding the first 100 kilometers on flat terrain,” Evenepoel said, referring to the opening section of the World Championships road race course.
“We can settle into the race a bit there, whereas here it was full gas right from the start. Plus, the race is much longer, so the finale will be less explosive and come down more to endurance.”
“It was a good rehearsal. Most of the riders tipped as favorites were up at the front,” said the Belgian team leader, who doesn’t want to read too much into his fifth-place at GP Montreal. “I often find that when I come down from altitude training, I lack that extra bit of punch. But we still have two weeks, so it’ll be fine.”