World Champion Remco Evenepoel storms to European time trial title

Remco Evenepoel (Belgium) became the European time trial champion for the second time in his career after a dominant performance, marking his sixth time trial victory of the season. 

Last to start his effort, Evenepoel, recently crowned world champion for the third time last week, was kitted out in the rainbow jersey as he rolled off the start ramp to begin his effort.

Through the first time check, Evenepoel established his dominance, leading Filippo Ganna (Italy) by 0:13, with Josh Tarling (Great Britain) in 3rd at 0:16. The Danish duo of Mads Pedersen (Denmark) and Niklas Larsen (Denmark) occupied 4th and 5th at 0:17 and 0:18, respectively.

Evenepoel expanded his advantage through the second checkpoint, already close to catching his minute man and former two-time champion Stefan Küng (Switzerland), his gap now 0:25 over Ganna, whilst Tarling remained in 3rd at 0:36. Larsen remained in the hunt for the podium in 4th at 0:37

The gap continued to grow through the third checkpoint, with the gap now 0:33, and the battle for third set to be close. Larsen was 3rd at 0:55, with the British duo of Tarling and Ethan Hayter (Great Britain) the closest challengers at 0:58 and 1:05 respectively.

There was no sense of jeopardy at the finish as Evenepoel smashed the competition, winning 43 seconds ahead of Ganna, whilst Larsen at 1:08 narrowly held off Hayter at 1:09 in 4th and Tarling in 5th at 1:10 to claim an excellent bronze medal.