The Sporza duo started on the special starting podium on the beach of Knokke-Heist. José De Cauwer with a racing bicycle, Renaat with an electric bicycle. “If I get control from the UCI, then I have a problem,” laughs Renaat.
In any case, the starting point is beautiful. Renaat Schotte is lyrical about it: “A stroll from the sea on the dike, then through the center of Knokke towards the polders to finish in the city of my heart, Bruges.”
In contrast to the area around Leuven, where the World Cup is held on the road, the course here is billiards. De Cauwer sees no point in it: “That flatness also makes it beautiful. They’re going to have to do it with the wind.”
Schotte: “The mental aspect cannot be underestimated here due to the succession of endlessly long pieces. You have to get inside your head to see that
to swallow the pain.”
Renaat Schotte barely makes it to the finish in Bruges, his battery is literally completely empty. “That’s José De Cauwer’s fault,” he says. “De Cauwer forced me to put the battery to maximum while cycling. Otherwise I couldn’t follow him.”
On Sunday, Wout van Aert and Remco Evenepoel have to do it for Belgium. Both José and Renaat have confidence in it.
Co-commentator De Cauwer: “Wout has his reputation with it and is doing very well, Remco is getting better every day and is the king of aerodynamics.”
“It is not immediately his course, but it was not in Alkmaar either. And there he became European champion. I think we should come home with at least 1 medal.”
Renaat Schotte thinks so too: “As it looks now, you will have headwind on most of the course. That is in favor of the men with the best aerodynamics. Remco Evenepoel plays in that category.”
