Lotto Soudal's Thomas de Gendt made the decision even more difficult when he said he would like to be the second and last to qualify for the individual time trial in Tokyo when the Belgian selection committee decides which athletes to choose for next summer's Olympics.

Remco Evenpole (Deceuninck-QuickStep) has already secured the first slot by winning this year's European Championships time trial, but which rider will fill the other slot is complicated by the fact that both TT riders must also be part of the five-man Olympic road race national team The question of which rider will fill the other slot is complicated by the fact that both TT riders must also be part of the five-man Olympic road race team.

Victor Campenaerts (Lotto Soudal), Wout van Aert, Laurens de Plus (both Jumbo Visma), and Yves Lampert (De Seuninck-Quick Step) have already been considered for the time trial, and now De Gendt has De Gendt is now a candidate. While de Gendt admits that he is not currently the fastest time trialist, he may be one of the better options to consider for road racing.

"I think Victor and Wout are a step ahead, but I would still like to put myself forward as a candidate," de Gendt told Sporza.be on Sunday. "The selection committee may ask me to be ready in time for Olympic week, and with five or six candidates, everyone will be eager."

De Gendt noted that he has improved considerably against the clock during the 2019 season and said he is "ready to pay more attention."

"Maybe not the best in the world, but on a difficult course (like the Olympic TT course), I can certainly aim for the top five. Hopefully (next season) there will be a time trial win."

"If you finish third twice in a Grand Tour time trial, you should be considered one of the better TT riders," de Gendt added of this year's Giro d'Italia and Tour de France stages.

The 33-year-old de Gendt finished third in the final stage of the Giro, ahead of de Gendt's compatriot and teammate Campenaerts, in an individual time trial won by American Chad Haga (Sunweb).

In the Tour, de Gendt also finished third in the time trial of Pau on stage 13. De Gendt also won the road stage from Macon to Saint-Etienne, the eighth stage of this year's Tour, solo.

"I've planned next year's season for the Tour and for the Olympics, which will be held a week later. Being able to extend that super condition by a week is ideal."

De Gendt is currently bikepacking in Spain's Montañas-Baquias mountains between Teruel and Valencia with his friend and Lot Soudal teammate Tim Wellens.

The start of the "Last Run 2," as the two riders call the journey, has been postponed because Wellens' bike was damaged on the flight to Spain, de Gendt has been ill, and the weather has been inclement.

They are expected to arrive in Valencia on Tuesday night.