At the UCI Road World Championships, Wout van Aert takes an honourable second place, both in the time trial and the main event of the road race.
Despite the absence of their young prodigy, Remco Evenepoel, still in recovery following a nasty fall, the Belgians could nourish solid ambitions on the starting line at the 2020 Road World Championships.
The 258.2km-long road race circuit, with its elevation of almost 5,000m in the beautiful Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, was over hilly terrain, giving the impression that a Belgian was going to take the victory in the last kilometres on the Imola circuit. But that was without counting on a devastating attack in Alaphilippe’s final climb. The Frenchman was unstoppable on that Sunday, 27 September. From then on, the Belgian Wout van Aert could only settle for second place. But, just like the day before at the end of the time trial, the rider from Herentals (province of Antwerp) did have the honour of climbing the podium to receive his silver medal.
The legendary rainbow jersey of the World Champion will therefore not be worn by a Belgian rider this year. But as a
consolation, let’s not forget that with 26 wins, Belgium remains by far the most successful nation in the world since this competition was introduced in 1927.
