For many years now, Greg van Avermaet has helped Philippe Gilbert achieve great success, including a 2001 Ardennes Triple and 2012 Rainbow Jersey.

But with Gilbert admitting himself that he does not have the form this year to lead the team, that onus will fall on van Avermaet, who has won twice recently and looks in great shape.

“It’s my first year with the status of leader in this race, so that brings a bit of pressure, but that’s good,” Van Avermaet said. “It’s my first time and maybe I’ll benefit from this in the years to come.”

While he does not have the results of Gilbert or Tom Boonen, he sees himself as being close to a big win.

“I don’t have the results that they have in the Worlds or the big classics, but I’m getting there,” Van Avermaet said quietly. “Not too quickly, but I’m getting there, and I think I’m capable of winning a big race.”

However, van Avermaet has been saying that since taking Paris-Tours 2011, but finally made the step up this year, finishing second in the Tour of Flanders.

“I think I’ve had good results all year and that’s not an easy thing to do. The wins in Impanis and Wallonnie were important too, they weren’t easy races to win,” he said.”

As for Gilbert, he won a third Amstel Gold title this year but has fired blanks ever since and says he doesn’t know much about his form heading into Sunday’s race.

“I haven’t had big results in a while,” Gilbert said. “I’m a bit in the unknown with my form and my condition because I’ve shown nothing in the past few weeks then but that’s allowed me to come to these Worlds without stress or pressure. If something happens, it’s a bonus. If not, then so be it.”
 

“We’re realists. We’re not the top favourites, apart maybe from Greg, who’s won recently and showed good form. Tom and I have been more low-key than normal before the Worlds but maybe we can take advantage of that.”

“It’s not like Valkenburg, when Philippe was in incredible form,” Van Avermaet said. “It’s a bit different here: we have a good team but not a leader with huge results. I think Spain and Italy will be the strongest teams.”

“It might come down to whoever is the best descender out of the climbers, maybe, because there’s a climb and a technical descent,” Gilbert warned. “There are a lot of riders capable of climbing well but there are fewer who can descend quickly.”

“That descent doesn’t look fast on television, but on the bike it’s very, very fast with few dangerous corners, so you have to be very attentive. If you brake, you can lose 50 metres so you can’t make any errors.”

Boonen will be the sprinter, Gilbert and van Avermaet the attackers and Sep Vanmarcke, who has been good this year but fairly quiet as of late, the wildcard Hail Mary lob