Kristof Vandewalle won his third consecutive national time trial title on Thursday, but hugely criticized the Belgian federation for choosing a highly unfortunate date to play the championship race with many riders unable to participate and other fatigued following the classics campaign.

Vandewalle pointed out that the date of Belgian national time trial championship needs to be changed, as it overlaps two important events: Tour de Romandie and Tour of Turkey, and is held less then a week after an exhausting Ardennes campaign, leaving riders unable to recover and regain their strength.

“The federation must urgently look for a more suitable date.”

“This is not such a good date, so soon after the Classics and while the Tours of Romandie and Turkey are on. It is unfortunate that riders such as Julien Vermote and Thomas De Gendt don't start,” he told Nieuwsblad.be.

Vandewalle’s fellow countrymen, Philippe Gilbert and Stijn Devolder, were quick to agree with the opinion of the Trek Factory Racing rider.

“You cannot recover from Liège-Bastogne-Liège in four days. If the Belgian championships were held four days after Paris-Roubaix, you wouldn't have many top riders,” said Gilbert (BMC Racing Team).

“It is time for the federation to take responsibility,” said Devolder (Trek Factory Racing).

“A decent date search can't be that difficult.”