Besides Remco Evenepoel, Wout van Aert will be the great hope for Olympic medals in Tokyo. That seems a certainty after his silver medal at the World Championship time trial in Imola. Main opponent Victor Campenaerts was only eighth. “I have shown that I can aim for both the time and the road race in Tokyo,” says Van Aert clearly and clearly.
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Too bad for Victor Campenaerts, who put the time trial in Belgium on the map. Without accidents, not he, but Wout van Aert will be at the start of the Olympic time trial in Tokyo next year. The world hour record holder finished eighth in Imola yesterday, his competitor Van Aert took silver. And that without specific preparation because of his participation in the Tour.
Campenaerts, who has already admitted that he was less well off, feels the storm looming. Even though in theory he still has a chance. Who will receive the second ticket for the time trial, will not be officially announced by the cycling association until June 2021. “If the deadline was today, it was a done deal,” says technical director Frederik Broché. “But we will also consider the results of 2021. However, Victor is a realist. Just as he understood that there was nothing more in this World Cup than this place of honor, he also realizes that an Olympic ticket will not be easy for him. ”
Certainly because whoever rides the time trial must also be used in the road trial, which has many vertical meters. “Wout is also a good climber, but a lot can happen in one year. When we drew up the criteria for Tokyo, Remco was still a junior, ”said Broché.
Van Aert did not ride his World Cup time trial in function of the Games. “I haven’t thought of Tokyo yet. By the way, are there going to be Olympics next year? In the winter we will see what planning we will draw up for 2021. But of course I want to go to the Games, it is the largest sporting event in the world. It’s going to be a big goal. I have shown that I can aim for both the time and the road trial in Tokyo. ”
World champion Ganna still unsure
Who Van Aert and Evenepoel will probably not meet during the time trial in Japan, is brand new world champion Filippo Ganna. The Italian is the world record holder on the track in the individual pursuit of four kilometers. That is not an Olympic discipline, but the four-kilometer team pursuit is. In that number he is the stronghold of the Italian team. “My priority remains the track, also at the Games”, says Ganna. In addition to the track numbers, he can in principle also participate in the time trial, but then he must also take the road race, which seems too much of a good thing. The Italian cycling federation faces a heavier choice than the Belgian one.
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