Remco Evenepoel Time Trial World Champion

Despite the fact that last Sunday's road race was not as he would have liked it to be, Remco Evenepoel did not leave the Scottish event empty-handed, beating a great Filippo Ganna and a surprising Joshua Tarling, who is beginning to unveil in the elite the quality he had already been announcing in the junior categories.

Another rainbow jersey for Remco Evenepoel

After the exciting road race of the World Cycling Championships that we enjoyed a few days ago, it was the turn of the individual fight against the clock. This time it was a real challenge for the participants not only because of its unusual length, 47.8 km, but also because of the hard final climb on cobblestones up to Stirling Castle, the venue for the time trial of this Scottish mega world championships.

After the first stages of the race, with the curious images of riders from modest countries competing, it was time for the big names. And it was surprising, although not so much to those who had already been following his career and that motivated his signing from the Junior category by INEOS Grenadiers, Joshua Tarling, who clearly beat the times of people like Rohan Dennis.

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These times were confirmed when minutes later Wout van Aaert passed, leaving no less than 27 seconds behind the British rider, who showed that his time was serious.

We had to wait a while to see the consecutive start of the two great favorites for the victory: Remco Evenepoel and Filippo Ganna, especially when another of those who could be there as was Tadej Pogacar did not have his day and was out of the fight for victory from the first timing point by losing 36''. Similar figures were lost by other specialists who could have been there, such as Geraint Thomas, Lennard Kamna or Stefan Kung.

In the following timing points Joshua Tarlin would continue in his line maintaining his comfortable lead which obviously also gave him the best time at the finish. A mark that Wout van Aert could not get close to, who was second at 49''.

However, victory was going to be difficult for the young British rider. Already from the first timing point Filippo Ganna managed to set the best time with Remco Evenepoel following him closely at only 4 seconds. At the next point the Belgian was able to go around the clock and take the lead by no less than 12''.

There was no chance for Filippo Ganna to come back. Especially seeing the television images that seemed to make it clear that one of his tyres was low on air. Fortunately, he didn't need to stop for a change because the tubeless was able to contain the air loss. Even so, he was clearly insecure on the last corners of the course.

He would set the best time at the finish line, improving Tarling's time by 36 seconds, but he already knew that behind him came a brilliant Remco Evenepoel who, in turn, would gain 12 seconds on the Italian, having become the Verbania rider's bête noire, whom he has managed to beat in all the time trials in which they have coincided this season. Remco Evenepoel thus achieves a new World Championship to add to the one he won last year on the road in Australia and that, undoubtedly, is a blow of morale before the imminent Vuelta a España in which he will try to revalidate last year's victory.

Time Trial World Championship Classification

1. Remco Evenepoel (Belgium) 55’19’’
2. Filippo Gannaa (Italy) +12’’
3. Joshua Tarling (UK) +48’’
4. Brandon McNulty (USA) +1’26’’
5. Wout van Aert (Belgium) +1’37’’
6. Nelson Oliveira (Portugal) +1’52’’
7. Rohan Dennis (Australia) +1’53’’
8. Mattiaa Cattaneo (Italy) +1’56’’
9. Mikkel Bjerg (Denmark) +1’58’’
10. Geraint Thomas (UK) +2’04’’