‘We’ve always respected each other’ - Wout Van Aert clears the air with Remco Evenepoel ahead of World Championships
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Published 14/09/2022 at 15:51 GMT
Wout van Aert has made an attempt to clear the air with Belgium team-mate Remco Evenepoel ahead of the 2022 UCI World Championships. The compatriots exchanged barbs in the media last year after leader Van Aert failed to take gold, but he has now insisted that the two riders have 'always had respect for each other'. The World Championships start in Wollongong, Australia, on 18 September.
Evenepoel best bits at La Vuelta
Wout van Aert has made a peace offering to compatriot Remco Evenepoel ahead of the 2022 UCI World Championships, after the pair had a public fall-out around the event last year.
The two Belgians exchanged barbed words in the media after Van Aert was named as team leader but failed to take home a win in the men’s road race.
A year on, Van Aert has looked to clear the air with La Vuelta champion Evenepoel.
“I think I got stressed in the race instead of keeping calm and it cost me a lot of energy which I needed in the final. I think it was just not meant to be,” he told Cyclingnews.
“For sure I learned from it and I also think we learnt from it as a team. It's obvious that we go with two leaders to the Championships in Wollongong.
“Remco and I have always had respect for each other. The issues of last year were something that should not have happened in the media. I was quickly over it and I don’t see any problem with working together. I think we both learned from it.”
Evenepoel became the first Belgian to win a Grand Tour in 44 years when he clinched victory in Spain last month, and he will ride in the time trial and road race in Australia.
Van Aert, who took the green jersey at the Tour de France, will miss the time trial but compete in the road race.
“It's better to have Remco as a co-leader and to race together instead. That's something we for sure learned as a team and I think can make all the difference this year,” he added.
“Remco is not fast in a sprint but he can attack from afar. I can maybe wait a bit more and also have a good chance in a smaller group.”
The World Championships will be held from 18 to 25 September, with the time trial on the opening day and the road race on the final day.
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