Belgium's national team selectors face a difficult choice in choosing which athletes will compete in next year's Olympic Games.

As reported this week, national coach Rick Verbrugghe has the luxury of Belgium being one of only six teams boasting a maximum of five Olympic men's elite road race and two time trialists. However, the two time triallists selected are also part of a five-member road race team.

According to Het Nieuwsblad, the national selection committee will begin discussions this week with the second time trialists, Victor Kampenaerts (Lotto Soudal), Wout van Art and Laurens de Plus (both Jumbo Visma), Yves Lampert (Deceuninck Quickstep) are likely to take their places.

"We do not intend to establish new eligibility criteria. The selection will be based on the value judgment of the national coaches in May," Frederic Brochet, technical director of Belgian cycling, told nieuwsblad.be on Tuesday.

"If it turns out that we are considered more likely to medal in the road race than in the time trial, the importance of second place in the time trial could be subordinated to the importance of the strength of the road race selection," he said.

Tom Van Damme, head of Belgian cycling, said, "Decisions will be based on performance, motivation, and enthusiasm. Just because you won the Paris-Nice prologue doesn't mean you are qualified for the time trial in Tokyo."

Evenpoel's victory in the time trial at the European Championships earned him one of the two time trial slots. Meanwhile, Van Aert, the Belgian time trial champion, said last month that if selected for another slot, he would like to work for his teammates in the road race. [Van Aert, who is still recovering from a thigh injury sustained in the Tour de France stage 13 time trial, said, "Of course, rehabilitation is the most important thing. It is up to the federation to contact the best time trialists. I am not going to contact them, nor am I going to beg them for selection."

Campenaerts, the current hour record holder, will move from Lotto Soudal to NTT Pro Cycling for 2020, and the 28-year-old Belgian, who was in Tokyo last week to visit the new team's main sponsor, was in the Olympic opportunity to scout the time trial course.

"I can say that the course was made for Belgians. It's very well suited for me, Remco Evenpole and Wout Van Aert."

This week's discussions between the TT candidates and the selection committee will determine the face of the national team for the summer competition.

Olympic road race champion Greg Van Avermaat (CCC Team) is certain to be in the running, but the very undulating course will be a challenge for Denmark's Jacob Fuglsang, Italy's Vincenzo Nibali, and 2019 Tour de France champion Egan Bernal of Colombia, and four-time Tour winner Chris Froome of Great Britain are likely targets, leaving Van Avermaat with little chance of defending his title.

A rider like Dylan Theuns (Bahrain-Merida) may be the most suitable candidate, with full Belgian support.