Evenepoel extends world time trial streak
Remco Evenepoel strengthened his world time trial dominance on Sunday with a crushing ride to a fourth consecutive gold medal at the road world championships.
The Belgian beat Filippo Ganna of Italy by 57.31 seconds, with France’s Paul Seixas taking bronze at 1:13.04. Brandon McNulty of the United States finished fourth, 1:25 down, after a fast and controlled ride over the 39.2km course.
Norway’s Jacob Söderqvist looked capable of reaching the podium before a late crash ended his medal hopes. He finished fifth, with Mexico’s Isaac Del Toro next across the line.
Evenepoel had targeted the fourth straight title, and he delivered with authority. He called the victory “amazing” afterward and credited his support team for the preparation. He also thanked Specialized for new equipment developed with him.
The result made Evenepoel the first rider to win four consecutive world time trial titles. It also keeps alive his chance to complete an unprecedented double at the road worlds in one week’s time.
A technical course rewards Evenepoel’s precision
The elite men used the same 39.2km route as the elite women had raced earlier on Saturday. The course was mostly flat and fast, but it included a climb near the finish.
Evenepoel said the route demanded more than pure power. He pointed to a technical opening and closing section, with a more forceful middle portion in between.
Although a harder course might have suited his climbing strength, Evenepoel made the difference elsewhere. His aerodynamic position, cornering, and technical execution separated him from bigger specialists.
He said he felt especially comfortable through the bends, describing the race as a “wonderful experience” after another dominant championship performance.
Ganna surges late, Söderqvist crashes out of podium fight
South Africa’s Byran Munton set the first meaningful early benchmark. Jan Tratnik of Slovenia then improved the opening intermediate time, before Denmark’s Kasper Asgreen went faster almost immediately.
Canada’s Michael Leonard lowered the mark again, sitting just ahead of Seixas at that stage. At the finish, Germany’s Jasha Sütterlin edged Munton, but Asgreen soon replaced him in the hot seat.
Asgreen held off Leonard, yet the leaderboard remained unstable. Söderqvist posted the fastest time at the first checkpoint, while Seixas led at the second check.
Söderqvist then maintained his speed to lead at the second and third intermediate points. Behind him, Evenepoel had already taken control of the race.
The defending champion led by 9.4 seconds at the first checkpoint. By the next timing point, his advantage had grown to 34.75 seconds, leaving little doubt about the gold medal.
The fight behind him tightened. Söderqvist tried to protect a narrow margin over Seixas, but he carried too much speed into a left-hand bend and crashed close to the finish.
Ganna, meanwhile, gained momentum after a slower opening check. The Italian finished strongly enough to move ahead of 19-year-old Seixas, but he never threatened Evenepoel’s lead.
Evenepoel crossed the line far clear of every rival, adding another landmark to his time trial record and underlining his control of the discipline.
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