Belgium has not been able to collect medals during the road races at the World Cycling Championships in its own country. José De Cauwer notes that there was a bit of hubris in the Belgian camp after all. “We have carried the race too emphatically, in every category,” says the cycling analyst in De Afspraak.
From juniors to elite: everywhere we saw the Belgian blue shirts at the front of the race, but that did not result in a medal. Have the Belgians not handled it well?
“We made one big mistake: we were guided by the enthusiasm that was already there before the World Cup. As a result, we carried the race too emphatically, in every category,” says José De Cauwer.
“I’m more of the plate theory man: first eat your opponent’s plate and then start on your own plate. And make sure that the opponent doesn’t touch your plate. But they didn’t do that at all.”
If you can only win when you’re the best, you’re not going to win much. Racing is also a tactic.
On Sunday, the Belgians put everything on Wout van Aert. “The overestimation of having only one leader is like telling the Red Devils that Romelu Lukaku is the only one who can score a goal, no one else.”
“Then it is very easy for the competition to control, because no one else is allowed to score. That was the story now. If you start that way, you have to make the course hard on the way. And when you have to change tactics , you have already eaten some of your riders and you can’t go back.”
“If you only start with one tactic, you can’t order a second one along the way. And if you can only win when you’re the best, then you won’t win much. Racing is also tactic and the French ate our plate.”
“On a tactical level I give 5 out of 10, the national coach also”
In Vive le Vélo, national coach Sven Vanthourenhout gave the World Cup of the Belgians a 7 out of 10. “In terms of effort 7 out of 10”, answers José De Cauwer.
“They all threw themselves incredibly, but you don’t win races that way. You have to think, look, use the competition. We were far too eager. On a tactical level I give the Belgians 5 out of 10, the national coach too.”
“Take that break with the three of us, with Cosnefroy, Cort and Evenepoel. And the Belgians drive behind it. That was not necessary for anything. Let Remco drive something, on reserve.”
We started wrong, with only one striker. And he wasn’t really at the appointment.
“Remco Evenepoel was also put under so much pressure that he wanted to do too well. That is the danger of a World Cup in his own country, with all those titles in the newspapers. There was even a discussion whether he was allowed to ride. He He did everything he could to score points and now he has it.”
“The whole of Flanders has gone along with Wout van Aert’s story, but we have encountered ourselves a bit. Tactical insight into the race is extremely important, but is often underexposed.”
“When Wout van Aert had to sit down with Julian Alaphilippe’s attack, the signal should have come a long time ago that he was not good enough. But the problem is that you have already consumed half of your team there. We started wrong, with only one striker. And he was not really at the appointment.”
