<\/p>\n
Belgium\u2019s national coach and former pro Serge Pauwels is leaving as little as possible to chance ahead of the road world championships in Montreal this September. As reported by Sporza<\/a>, Pauwels is in La Belle Province<\/em> this week, not just to study the race routes, but to figure out where his riders should live and train during a packed block of racing.<\/p>\n The calendar makes things complicated. The Grand Prix Cycliste de Qu\u00e9bec and Grand Prix Cycliste de Montr\u00e9al fall on Sept. 11 and 13, and a week later the world championships is in Montreal. That leaves a gap to manage, especially for riders targeting the road race on Sept. 27. Because it doesn\u2019t make sense to fly back to Europe in that short span. Which means they will stay here and train.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really important that we find a good place in this region that can serve as a base between the Canadian races and the worlds,\u201d Pauwels said. The idea is to avoid keeping riders stuck in a city hotel for two weeks.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to create a kind of isolation bubble for the guys doing both the Canadian one-day races and the worlds,\u201d he explained. \u201cEven if that\u2019s only three to five riders, I\u2019m not a fan of putting them in a hotel for two weeks. After a while, they forget what they\u2019re there for.\u201d<\/p>\n The solution? Somewhere quieter, with space to train and recover properly \u2014 not ideal in a busy place like Montreal. One of the few choices that is used by pros or amateurs is the F1 circuit\u2013that\u2019s fine for an easy ride, doing laps of the 6-km circuit, but not for a long stay. But there are plenty of great roads for training outside of the city.<\/p>\n Pauwels is travelling with a small Belgian Cycling delegation and under-23 rider Viktor Soenens as they scout options. A final decision hasn\u2019t been made, but he hinted they are close.<\/p>\n There\u2019s also the racing itself. Pauwels has already ridden parts of the time trial and road race courses. The 39.9-kilometre time trial is largely flat, aside from a slight rise near the finish, with two laps of Montreal\u2019s Formula 1 circuit before heading back along the waterfront.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s basically pan-flat, which we expected,\u201d he said. \u201cBut it\u2019s good to see and feel it for yourself. The wind usually comes from the south.\u201d<\/p>\n La f\u00e9d\u00e9ration belge en rep\u00e9rage \u00e0 Montr\u00e9al \ud83c\udde7\ud83c\uddea<\/p>\n Cette semaine, @sergepauwels<\/a> et Victor Soenens ont d\u00e9couvert les circuits de #Montr\u00e9al2026<\/a>, du circuit Gilles-Villeneuve au mythique Mont-Royal.<\/p>\n On leur a pos\u00e9 quelques questions : parcours, ambitions et avis sur Montr\u00e9al\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/HPjo3RjgQ0<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Montr\u00e9al 2026 (@Montreal_2026) April 23, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n That profile could suit pure power riders like Filippo Ganna, whom Pauwels flagged as a serious rival. While Remco Evenepoel remains a natural contender, Pauwels suggested the course opens the door to a broader group of specialists.<\/p>\n As for Wout van Aert, he won\u2019t ride the time trial. The focus, Pauwels confirmed, is firmly on the road race after the Vuelta, another detail in a plan where, clearly, nothing is being left to guesswork. Van Aert has done well on the Montreal circuit, finishing behind a certain Tadej Poga\u010dar back in 2021.<\/p>\n The 2026 UCI road worlds are going down Sept. 20\u201327, and it\u2019s gonna be big. According to the organizers, the event is expected to bring roughly 1,000 riders from 80 countries and as many as 500,000 spectators. That will make it Montreal\u2019s biggest sporting moment since the 1976 Olympics.<\/p>\n And the City of Montreal is doing lots to prepare the road, too. Given MTL\u2019s infamous potholes, there is pressure to fix it up so that Wout van Aert doesn\u2019t fall through a hole on Notre-Dame St. E and end up in a portal to another dimension. If you\u2019ve ridden in Montreal\u2026well, IYKYK.<\/p>\n When asked about crashes in the road race, organizing committee GM Joseph Limare said it\u2019s part of the sport. But they sure don\u2019t want it to be the result of lousy roads, he said<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s make sure any crashes are the result of the racing, and not from the quality of the asphalt.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\nA chunk of time in Quebec<\/h2>\n
Somewhere to get miles in<\/h2>\n
On the courses<\/h2>\n
\n