Serge, congratulations on your nomination. What is your first feeling?
“Pride. I am very happy to become the coach of a generation of riders that I saw grow up and with whom I had a lot of pleasure working. Managing to evolve from young people to professionals, it It’s a great satisfaction.”
We heard the names of Greg Van Avermaet or Philippe Gilbert circulating in recent months. Would you have been disappointed not to be chosen?
“Of course. I would have been a little disappointed not to receive this unique opportunity to prove myself.”
Tom Van Damme explains why Belgian Cycling did not choose Philippe Gilbert as coach: “Serge Pauwels had an advantage over him”
Are you relieved that this period of uncertainty is over?
“Yes, because I have logically received a lot of questions in recent weeks and it was not easy to keep everything to myself. I always had confidence that the best choice would be made. Now that everything is official, I’m happy and the work can begin.”
Did knowing the current generation and the next generation work in your favor?
“I think so, yes. There is a certain logic to the fact that the federation started discussions with me. I was a little surprised by Sven’s departure and I would have been very happy to continue as junior coach “He was still there, but when the opportunity to replace him presented itself, I showed my ambition and I am happy with the confidence I received.”
What are you going to bring that is different compared to Vanthourenthout?
“I think I already have an excellent connection with the youth, which has been created over the last four years. And I want to bring this connection with me. Today’s juniors are tomorrow’s elites We have a great generation and there are still many talents behind them. This will be my biggest problem in the coming years. (laughs). I think of runners like Jasper Schoofs or Aldo Taillieu. It’s possible that they will already be there in Los Angeles, in 2028.”
gullA little worse than Sven would already be good.
Sven Vanthourenhout has almost won 100 medals as coach. Is it pressure to succeed him?
“In all these medals, there are still quite a few that came in cyclo-cross (smile). More seriously, I think that if I manage to do a little worse than him, that will be a good result too, I think. I don’t feel any pressure but that will inevitably be the case during major events.”
What is your relationship with the leaders of the current team, Wout van Aert and Remco Evenepoel?
“In recent years I worked as Sven’s assistant at the World Championships and the European Championships. I was present at all the meetings and regularly in the car. I was always behind one of them during qualifying, for example. Knowing them is therefore an advantage. My role will be to try to set up the best possible environment for them. They work in the World Tour, where the demands are very high. it’s up to me to give them the same standards of supervision when they are with the national team. In terms of nutrition, preparation or strategy. Then it will be up to them to race. I’m not going to teach them how to ride a bike, they already know how to do it.smile).”
