Always very protective when it comes to Omega Pharma – Quick Step riders, squad manager Partick Lefevere claimed to by displeased about the final Belgian national team selection for upcoming World Championships. More particularly, not enough of his team’s cyclists making the final cut is what made him openly unhappy.

Considering that the World Championships road race course in Ponferrada is tailor made for classics specialists, it indeed might come as a surprise that only two Omega Pharma – Quick Step riders – Tom Boonen and Jan Bakelants – have made the final selection as the team is regarded the strongest squad for one-day events.

Eager as always to share his remarkable thoughts with cycling media, Lefevere claimed that while selecting such riders as Philippe Gilbert, Greg van Avermaet (BMC Racing) or Tim Wellens (Lotto-Belisol) was perfectly understandable, two domestiques who have made the final cut – Ben Hermans (BMC) and Johan Vansummeren (Garmin-Sharp) should have been replaced with OPQS riders who performed better throughout 2014 season.

“I have nothing to see against the qualities of riders like Johan Vansummeren or Ben Hermans, but I find that my riders who were not selected are at least as strong,” Lefevere told Sporza.be

"Based on the performance of Pieter Serry in the Vuelta, Gianni Meersman in the last month or Julien Vermote in the Tour of Britain, I think that certainly two of the three had to have been selected." Both Serry and Meersman have been named as reserves.

Omega Pharma – Quick Step manager also suggested that Belgian national team coach, Carlo Bomans, paid too big attention to results obtained by riders in North American races, where his team didn’t participate.

"I am not overwhelmed by results in Utah or Colorado," he said. "If you look below the top five in results, you know nobody. The Vuelta was at a very high level his year, and the Tour of Britain as well. I must defend my team and I even feel a little insulted."