The 2026 World Championships in Montréal delivered widespread tactical fallout as Belgian cycling analysts and national team leadership dissected a high-stakes race that ended without a medal for top favorites Wout van Aert and Remco Evenepoel. Speaking on the podcast Wielerclub Wattage, former professional rider Eddy Planckaert delivered a scathing assessment of Mathieu van der Poel’s aggressive racing tactics, calling the Dutchman’s pivotal move on the local circuit so stupid as can be.
wielernieuws.be reported that Planckaert believed a more patient approach would have secured an easy victory.
Planckaert and Bakelants Criticize Van der Poel’s Early Move
The race dynamic shifted dramatically roughly one hundred kilometers from the finish line when Mathieu van der Poel launched a strenuous early effort that caught the peloton off guard. Jan Bakelants opened the discussion on Wielerclub Wattage by branding the Dutchman’s maneuver as entirely redundant at that stage of the race, according to wielernieuws.be. Planckaert echoed those sentiments with severe criticism of the tactical execution.
I wonder where that cycling tactic of the past has gone,
Planckaert stated during the podcast, as reported by wielernieuws.be. Had he read the race like his father did, or like we did, he would have won on one leg.
Planckaert argued that Van der Poel’s premature acceleration burned vital energy and surrendered a prime opportunity to claim another world title.
Tom Boonen Defends Van der Poel’s Aggressive Racing Style
Tom Boonen offered a starkly different perspective during the same panel discussion, pushing back against the severe judgments leveled by his fellow analysts. Boonen defended the Dutch star’s aggressive approach as a logical response to the demanding nature of the Montréal course, noting that Van der Poel was trying to distance superior climbers.
I thought it was a clever action by Mathieu,
Boonen said, according to wielernieuws.be. He wanted to take a minute on men who normally climb better than himself. And in doing so, he bumped into his own limits.
Boonen also questioned whether a conservative race would have guaranteed victory, pointing out that any cautious contender still would have had to outpace a formidable block of American riders.
National Coach Serge Pauwels Examines Belgium’s Tactical Collapse
For the Belgian national squad, the race unraveled as top leaders failed to match pre-race expectations. National coach Serge Pauwels admitted disappointment after Remco Evenepoel finished twelfth and Wout van Aert crossed the line in twenty-eighth place, sporza.be reported. Pauwels noted that the team initially controlled an early breakaway while French riders dictated a grueling pace on the local laps.
That was not bad for us, because Remco Evenepoel and Wout van Aert benefited from a war of attrition where the explosiveness of riders like Isaac Del Toro and Paul Seixas would be blunted,
Pauwels explained to sporza.be. However, the race dynamics shifted roughly ninety kilometers from the finish when Van Aert attacked to break open the field. When he lost touch with Mathieu van der Poel, it suddenly looked a lot less good for us,
Pauwels said.
Internal Friction and Team Strategy Debated on Wielerclub Wattage
The post-mortem on Wielerclub Wattage extended beyond Van der Poel to scrutinize the internal dynamics of the Belgian team.
Bakelants expressed particular frustration with Van Aert’s early efforts, suggesting the versatile rider should have conserved energy rather than chasing moves prematurely. I thought he understood that after Paris-Roubaix,
Bakelants remarked, according to In de Leiderstrui. Meanwhile, Boonen pointed out that Evenepoel displayed remarkable resilience by repeatedly fighting back after losing ground on the climbs, even though his physical condition ultimately fell short of challenging for the rainbow jersey.
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