Wout van Aert will not be competing in the individual time trial at next month's World Championships in Wollongong, and according to Het Laatste Nieuws, the Belgian, who has finished second in the event the past two seasons, will instead focus on road racing.

"It's a pity because Wout Van Aert would have had a great chance to win a medal if he had been at the start of the time trial, but on the other hand, I understand this decision," Belgian national coach Sven Van Hollenhout told Het Laatste Nieuws. (Open in new tab).

"You need good preparation for a time trial like that and I understand what Wout wanted to choose."

Van Aert has finished second behind Filippo Ganna in the last two World Championship time trials, losing by just five seconds in Bruges last year.

Van Aert hinted in May that he would not target the time trial in Australia and waited until after the Tour de France to inform the Belgian national team of his decision. He won the final time trial stage of the Tour de France, but wants to focus entirely on road racing.

Van Aert's remarkable 2022 season will make him a strong candidate for the rainbow jersey in the road race.

The 27-year-old won three stages (including the final time trial) and the green jersey at the Tour de France, helping his Jumbo-Visma teammate Jonas Vingegaard win the overall. Earlier in the year, Van Aert won the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and the E3 Saxo Bank Classic, but his classic campaign was later suspended due to a COVID-19 diagnosis.

In Van Aert's absence, Remco Evenpoel will carry Belgium's hopes in the discipline. Evenpoel won a silver medal behind Rohan Dennis at the 2019 Yorkshire and a bronze at Home Road last year.

Vanthourenhout's time trial options also include Yves Lampert, who won the opening stage of the Tour de France in Copenhagen, and former Hour record holder Victor Kampenaerts.

"It's a mental thing. When Wout starts a time trial, he puts a lot of pressure on his shoulders.

"For other athletes a silver medal would be great, but not for him. Last year Wout was disappointed for a few days after the time trial.

Van Aert competed in several criteriums after the Tour, but missed last Saturday's Donostia San Sebastian Classicoa due to fatigue. He will now rest, but will return to competition at the BEMER Cyclassics in Hamburg on August 21.

The Bretagne Classics (August 28), Grand Prix de Quebec (September 9), and Grand Prix de Montreal (September 11) are also on the schedule before the World Championship road race in Wollongong on Sunday, September 25.

The Belgian contingent for the Wollongong road race will likely include Evenpoel, who is coming off a dominant victory at the Clasica San Sebastian.

Quick-Step Alphavinir, who has already won the Liège-Bastogne-Liège race in April, will be looking to win the overall at the Vuelta a España.