The Belgian Remco Evenepoel showed in the Glasgow World Time Trial why he deserved the nickname of the little Cannibal. The 23-year-old Soudal Quick-Step cyclist has exchanged the scepter of road world champion (2022) for the crown of the best time trialist on the planet with his exhibition at Stirling Castle. He is the youngest time trial champion in history and the first Belgian in this speciality.
At the end of the 47.8 km of travel, the Belgian beat the Italian Filippo Ganna, two-time CRI champion (2020-21), by just 12.28 seconds, and by 48.20 seconds the surprising British Joshua Tarling, just 19 years old, the most young man in history to climb a podium in the Cycling World Cup.
The first of the favorites to hit the Scottish road was the Belgian Wout van Aert (at 16.41), who on Sunday took silver in the road test (behind the Dutch Van der Poel). The first reference final time was established by the Portuguese Nelson Oliveira in 57m11s69, provisional leader.
However, the first real barometer was marked by the passage of all the candidates through the first intermediate point, at 12.6 km: the best time was set by the Italian Filippo Ganna, two-time CRI world champion (2020-21); He was followed by Remco Evenepoel at 4.62 seconds and the surprising Briton Joshua Tarling, third at 6.73 seconds. The rest of the favorites, far. The defending champion, Tobias Foss, was 10th behind 33s, and Tadej Pogacar was 14th behind 36s.
The surprise of the young British from Ineos, Tarling, 19, was consolidated at the second intermediate point (34.7 km) by achieving the third best time and beginning to push away the favorites, such as Van Aert at 1m01s. He was only surpassed at that kilometer point by Ganna and Evenepoel, the best, 12s faster than the Italian and 25s better than the British.
Tarling, who was one of the first to start, also led intermission 3 and crossed the finish line with a spectacular 56m07s43, that is, a time that placed him provisionally first by lowering Oliveira's reference time by one minute and 4 seconds. .
Conscious of the time that the daring Tarling was marking them, it was Evenepoel and Ganna who saw the gold on the line by leading the second intermediate point. Tadej Pogacar's threat had completely faded 34.7 km from the second checkpoint, as he was 2m17s behind (he was 24th). The Slovenian would end up melting, 22nd at 3m05s.
At the third intermediate point (4.4 km from the finish line), Evenepoel not only did not let up, but had increased his lead to 10.68 seconds over Ganna, who had started earlier. The Italian reached the finish line by lowering Tarling's best time by 35s92 -the Italian had secured the silver-.
But just two minutes later Evenepoel arrived, squeezing his strength on the cobblestones, in those final 800 meters uphill to Stirling Castle, and took gold by 12.28 seconds over the Italian cyclist.
The Belgian had gone from one year to the next from bronze to gold in a time trial, but above all, he has changed his scepter: from being the world king on the road, to being one against the clock.
The only Spanish participant in the time trial was the Basque Xabier Mikel Azparren (Euskaltel Euskadi), called to Glasgow at the last minute due to the loss of Oier Lazkano (fall in the Klasika de Ordizia). The 24-year-old cyclist from Donosti finished in 40th position (out of 78 participants), 5m07s behind Evenepoel.
The last medal that a Spaniard won in the World Time Trial was the bronze of Jonathan Castroviejo in 2016, the sixth in this specialty.
