Rivals see World Championship opportunities (for Evenepoel) against Pogacar: "His attack wasn't like his Tour attacks"

Tadej Pogacar seemed to show some weakness in the GP Québec, as it was surprising that Arnaud De Lie and his Lotto-Dstny teammates were able to follow him during a final attack. Two days later in the GP Montréal, however, there was little to be done against the Slovenian from UAE-Team Emirates, who clearly has excellent form heading into the World Championships in Zürich. The big question now is: who are the realistic challengers after Montréal?

The gaps in Canada were not as large as those in the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France, but with a strong attack, Pogacar managed to put second-placed Pello Bilbao 24 seconds behind. Despite this, it was a huge boost for the Spaniard from Bahrain Victorious. "This feels great," he said in a team press release. "We knew this was a great opportunity, so we came with a strong team. My teammates did impressive work, allowing me to save a lot of energy. Following Pogacar was impossible, so I rode my own race and pace on the final climb. This is a big moral boost for what’s to come."

In third place, we saw Julian Alaphilippe, who, after also bravely responding to Pogacar’s attack in Québec, won the sprint of a large group for third place. "The course and the high temperatures made it a tough day, so it was important to conserve every ounce of energy. When the action started in the last twenty kilometers, I played my cards as well as I could. It was difficult to close the gap to Pogacar, but I never gave up and tried to form a chasing group. That didn’t work, so I’m happy to take my first podium place in Canada in the sprint. This result is a confidence boost for the World Championships."

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Van Gils and Benoot signal good form, but Belgium has Evenepoel

On Sunday, the Belgians were closely watching the performances of riders who will be competing with Remco Evenepoel at the World Championships. Maxim Van Gils sent a positive signal with a fourth-place finish, and Tiesj Benoot took seventh. The Belgians from Lotto-Dstny and Visma | Lease a Bike were pleased with their results. "I just missed a podium place, but I'm happy with my performance and the feeling," said Van Gils afterward. Benoot remarked through his team’s channels: "I had to brake just before the sprint, otherwise, there might have been more for me. We fought well as a team and had many riders in the final. A podium place would have been nice, but as a team, we can definitely be satisfied."

In Belgium, however, the focus towards Zürich is primarily on Evenepoel. Van Gils might have given some good news at HLN for his Soudal-Quick Step leader. "Pogacar did show that he is in form, he was very strong, but maybe not gigantic. It’s strange to say, but his attack wasn’t like his attacks in the Tour. I do think he is the favorite for Zürich, but I hope Remco will be ready as well." Benoot was a bit more cautious: "He dares to attack with two laps to go. That shows he is very confident and has come out of his rest period in good shape. Matteo (Jorgenson) tried to follow, but he blew up. That proves enough that Pogacar is in order. I think right now there is only one person in the world who can follow Pogacar if he is in good shape, and that’s Remco. I hope that will be the case in two weeks."