Remco Evenepoel is the time trial world champion for the second time. The Belgian triumphed in Zurich, just ahead of Italian Filippo Ganna.
After completing 46.1 kilometers, Evenepoel finished six seconds faster than Ganna. The bronze medal went to Ganna’s fellow countryman and European champion, Edoardo Affini, who was 54 seconds behind the world champion. German competitors Miguel Heidemann and Maximilian Schachmann placed 20th and 23rd, respectively.
“Crazy,” Evenepoel remarked about his narrow lead. Despite the slim margin, he crossed the finish line with his arms raised: “In a World Championship, the final time doesn’t matter as much. This was probably the hardest time trial of my career.”
The pursuit of a gold triple following his two victories at the Paris Summer Games began with a shocking moment for Evenepoel. His chain slipped off on the starting ramp, and he managed to get back on his bike only about 25 seconds before the start signal.
Niedermaier narrowly misses out on medal in time trial
Antonia Niedermaier provided the German Cycling Association with a surprisingly strong performance at the World Championships in Zurich.
The 21-year-old finished just nine seconds behind the bronze medal in the individual time trial, securing fourth place overall. At the same time, Niedermaier claimed her second consecutive gold in the U23 category.
The new world champion is Grace Brown. The Olympic champion from Australia pushed Dutch rider Demi Vollering into second place with a 16-second lead in the last time trial of her career, winning her first world championship gold.
Nine seconds short of bronze
On the 29.9-kilometer course, Niedermaier held third place at both intermediate times, but at the finish, defending champion Chloe Dygart from the USA was just ahead of her. Niedermaier finished 1:05 minutes behind Brown.
Franziska Koch was the second German competitor, finishing in 15th place, 3:04 minutes behind Brown. Both Koch and Niedermaier are set to compete in the 154.1-kilometer road race next Saturday. Following their strong performances, expectations are high for the BDR riders in that event as well.
Remco Evenepoel is time trial world champion for the second time. The Belgian triumphed in Zurich just ahead of the Italian Filippo Ganna.
After 46.1 kilometers, Evenepoel was six seconds faster than the Italian. Bronze went to Ganna’s compatriot and European champion Edoardo Affini, who was 54 seconds slower than the world champion. The German starters Miguel Heidemann and Maximilian Schachmann took 20th and 23rd place.
Evenepoel’s Victory: Overview
“Crazy,” said Evenepoel about the minimal lead. Despite the narrow lead, he crossed the finish line with his arms raised: “At a World Championship, it doesn’t matter how close it is at the end. It was probably the hardest time trial of my career.”
Challenging Start
The gold triple project after the two victories at the Paris Summer Games began with a moment of shock for Evenepoel. The chain came off on the starting ramp and the 24-year-old was not back on the bike until about 25 seconds before the starting signal.
Niedermaier’s Performance
Antonia Niedermaier had previously given the German Cycling Association an unexpectedly strong start at the World Championships in Zurich.
The 21-year-old missed the bronze medal by just nine seconds in the individual time trial, finishing fourth. At the same time, Niedermaier secured gold in the U23 category for the second time in a row.
New World Champion
The new world champion is Grace Brown. The Olympic champion from Australia relegated the Dutchwoman Demi Vollering to second place with a lead of 16 seconds in the last time trial of her career and won her first world championship gold.
Nine Seconds Short of Bronze
On the 29.9-kilometer course, Niedermaier was in third place at both intermediate times, but at the finish, defending champion Chloe Dygart from the USA was just ahead of the top talent. Niedermaier was 1:05 minutes behind Brown.
Franziska Koch was the second German starter, coming in 15th, 3:04 minutes behind Brown. Both Koch and Niedermaier will be competing in the 154.1-kilometer road race next Saturday. After their strong start, the BDR riders will be expected to do well there too.
Race Results Summary
| Position | Name | Country | Time Behind Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Remco Evenepoel | Belgium | — |
| 2 | Filippo Ganna | Italy | +6s |
| 3 | Edoardo Affini | Italy | +54s |
| 4 | Antonia Niedermaier | Germany | +9s (in U23 category) |
| 5 | Grace Brown | Australia | — |
Upcoming Competitions
Both Remco Evenepoel and Antonia Niedermaier will be focusing on their upcoming events, where they aim to add to their remarkable achievements at the World Championships.
