Two gold medals make Glasgow World Championships best in Belgian road cycling history
Belgian cyclists have never been more successful than at this year's edition of the UCI Cycling World Championships. Their total of six medals on the road is the same as last year, but Remco Evenepoel and Lotte Kopecky's rainbow jerseys make it a record year.
Belgium won six medals on the road, more than any other country. Fleur Moors won bronze in the junior road race, followed by silver for Wout van Aert in the men's road race. Alec Segaert and Julie De Wilde took silver and bronze respectively in the U23 time trial. Evenepoel and Kopecky finished with two gold medals in the time trial and road race.
On the track, Belgium's riders won another five medals, making them the sixth most successful country this year. Kopecky won the world titles in the points race and scratch race, as well as bronze in the omnium. Fabio Van den Bossche and Tuur Dens secured two more bronze medals in the points race and scratch.
These are promising results for next year's Olympic Games in Paris. "We won four medals in Olympic disciplines," said Frederik Broché, technical director of Belgian Cycling, in an interview with Het Nieuwsblad. "When Belgium won three World Cup medals 100 years ago, we won the same number at the Olympic Games. It would be nice if we could equal or break that record next year."
© BELGA PHOTO DAVID PINTENS