Exploration has begun: Wout van Aert conquers the final of the World Championship road race, while Evenepoel completes two time trial courses | World Cycling Championships

Van Aert drove from his hometown of Herentals to the center of Leuven, where the final of the World Cup road race will be contested on Sunday 26 September. In this, the Belgian champion, who is in top form, is the big favorite for a win.

Today he climbed the Sint-Antoniusberg (see photos), the Wijnpers, the Ramberg and the Keizersberg. Van Aert shared his ride on Strava: over 122 kilometers he achieved an average of 32.6 km/h. He then posted a ‘story’ of Teunissen on Instagram. Breaking: reserve leader Orange explores Flanders 2021 course.

The World Cycling Championships in our country will start next Sunday. Then Van Aert competes for the world title in time trial.

The World Time Trial Championships for the elite men are already on the agenda on Sunday. Today the Belgian time trialists gathered in Bruges and explored the course for the first time. Remco Evenepoel, one of the favorites on Sunday, immediately completed the course – 43.3 kilometers flat between Knokke-Heist and Bruges – twice. Wout van Aert will join the group tomorrow, he will also compete for gold. Last week, Evenepoel took bronze at the European Time Trial Championships. National coach Vanthourenhout saw from the bike that it was good.

Julian Alaphilippe, in turn, went exploring in and around Leuven. The French world champion defends his title there and of course wants to do everything in his power to extend it. Afterwards he went to dinner with partner Marion Rousse in the Leuven Bistro Tribunal ‘Chez Yf’. On the menu: a hearty steak.

Like Wout van Aert, Alaphilippe took part in the Tour of Britain in preparation for the World Cup in Leuven.