Belgium will rely on Wout Van Aert and Remco Evenepoel during the 2024 Olympic road race (August 3), coach Sven Vanthourenhout having decided to do without the services of sprinters Arnaud De Lie and Jasper Philipsen.
Evenepoel and Van Aert, already designated for the time trial and essential, will be supported by Jasper Stuyven and Tiesj Benoot, very regular this spring and already present at the last Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Vanthourenhout therefore opted for teammates rather than other co-leaders. Jasper Philipsen, winner of Milan-Sanremo and green jersey of the last Tour de France, or Arnaud De Lie, crowned Belgian champion last Sunday, are among the first victims of the current abundance of talent in Belgian cycling.
Great Britain bets on Tarling
The Great Britain team will do without Geraint Thomas and will rely on their nugget Josh Tarling and the versatile Tom Pidcock. Double Olympic champion (team pursuit in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012), Thomas did not convince Stephen Park (performance director of British Cycling) during his last outings.
The Ineos-Grenadiers rider, 38 years old and recent 3rd in the Tour of Italy, had participated in all the Games since Athens in 2004. He will participate in the next Tour de France, within a team probably serving the Spaniard Carlos Rodriguez or Colombian Egan Bernal.
For the road race, the British team will therefore be made up of prodigy Josh Tarling (20 years old, recent national time trial champion), Fred Wright, Stevie Williams and Tom Pidcock. The latter will also participate in the mountain bike event, of which he will be one of the favorites.
