The bell rang in Wollongong (Australia) to announce the last lap of the World Championship and the race was decided and ready for sentencing. Remco Evenepoel went to a motorcycle belonging to the organization that was accompanying him to ask for references. He was going solo toward glory, toward the rainbow, and he wanted to make sure no one could steal his success. The Belgian is the new world champion after a day that was a true reflection of his courage and ambition. Evenepoel was facing a key year for him and he has shaken off his doubts and has confirmed that he is called to be a great one. In 2022 he had already won the Liège, his second San Sebastián classic and two weeks ago he won the Vuelta a España, his first three-week race, at just 22 years old. A year as splendid as the rainbow.
The young Belgian took advantage of the great form of the Vuelta to shine in the World Cup. He even put on the red helmet that he wore in the Spanish round to match his leader's jersey. It was his way of saying that he wanted to repeat, that he was thinking of a new exhibition to silence his (few. Are there any?) Critics and remember that his serious fall in Il Lombardía in 2020, 25 months ago, it is totally forgotten. In the antipodes, everything was like in Madrid.
With an intractable Evenepoel, the excitement of the last lap was in case the pursuers managed to catch up with Lutsenko, whom Remco had dropped with 25 km to go, and be able to fight for silver or second place was for the Kazakh. It wasn't just Schmid, Rota and Skjelmose. If not from behind, the peloton came in a fury to get the other two medals at stake in a massive sprint.
The Frenchman Laporte was the fastest and hung the silver that tastes like little to the Gauls after the last two victories of Alaphilippe. Matthews, who was running at home, settled for bronze as in 2017. Van Aert, with duty fulfilled by his compatriot, could only be fourth. Asturian Iván García Cortina was the best Spaniard, eleventh, after a race in which Spain had no representative in the good breakaway from Evenepoel.
Belgium perfectly played its two cards. They were the only team that truly had two leaders, two intimidating riders, two men to dominate the race. To win from afar or in a tight endgame. To make a cut with Evenepoel and to prevail in a more conventional sprint with Van Aert. And both moved to short-circuit the rest of the favorites, who never knew which wheel was the right one.
Evenepoel got into a leak more than 60 kilometers away. It was a large group. At his side were three companions: Dewulf, Serry and Hermans. Behind, with Van Aert, the other half of the selection remained. Just in case. In case someone hunted them down. But when Remco has something between his eyebrows and the race is within reach, there is not much more to discuss. This time he gave no chance for a Foss to appear who would surprise him as the Norwegian in the time trial.
And more so because the Netherlands were totally unhorsed without Mathieu van der Poel. He was one of the big favorites but the Dutchman got off the bike in the first few kilometers after a confusing incident at his hotel. The cyclist was involved in an altercation with some noisy teenagers staying at his own hotel who did not let him rest and he ended up in the police station until four in the morning.
