The possible reduction of the road race at the World Championships has caused frustration in the Belgian camp. Coach Kevin de Weert tells Het Nieuwsblad that he was unhappy about the way of communication from the UCI.

On Tuesday the UCI announced that due to extreme heat, the road race can be shortened by 150 kilometers under the so-called Extreme Weather Protocol race. In particular, the circuit through the desert would be shortened or even disappear completely. De Weert regrets the timing of the news. 

"I would have preferred to have had that information whenI announced my selection. No, I do not expect the UCI to estimate what the weather will be in advance. But I would have liked to have known that we would shorten the race by 150 kilometers in extreme heat. And that the passage through the desert would disappear. With that information in mind, I would have made another selection. Then it had been more opportune to bring our sprinter Timothy Dupont," he explains.