"Project Canada" - Remco Evenepoel dials in for World Championships as he crosses paths with Mathieu van der Poel in Italy

There's still a little more than a month until the 2026 Montreal World Championships, but the pre-race favourites are already sharpening their weapons in pursuit of rainbow jersey(s). Remco Evenepoel, a four-time world champion, is preparing for the challenge of defeating Tadej Pogacar in the road event. Joined by national team colleague Quinten Hermans and Mathieu van der Poel, Evenepoel has kicked off his final training block of this season in Livigno, Italy, under the label 'Project Canada'. This camp aims to focus on training before departing for Canadian WorldTour classics: GP Quebec and GP Montreal. In five weeks, Van der Poel and Evenepoel will face off on the Montreal circuit. Meanwhile, Van der Poel is also preparing for the mountain bike World Championships in Val di Sole, which take place in two weeks, aiming to complete his collection of rainbow jerseys after winning cyclocross (eight times), road (in 2023), and gravel (2024). Ondřej Zhasil, a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate, covers professional cycling, focusing on startlist analysis, team selections, and race tactics. He is based in Ostrava, Czech Republic, and has expertise in junior cycling and East Asian competitions, including China and Japan. Zhasil uses ProCyclingStats for results and maintains a strong emphasis on editorial accuracy and prompt updates.