There were no surprises in the elite men’s time trial at the Belgian National Championships as world and Olympic time trial champion Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) blitzed the 40.2km course to claim his second career title.
The Tour de France contender was the last man down the start ramp in Brasschaat, north of Antwerp, following the silver medallist of the past two years, Alec Segaert (Lotto), out on course.
UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider Florian Vermeersch sat in the hot seat with a time of 45:55 despite a crash, but he stood little chance of holding off Evenepoel, who was already 32 seconds up at the first checkpoint.
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That gap only widened as the race progressed, with Evenepoel adding another eight seconds by the end of the first 20.1km lap and nine more at the 30km checkpoint. Segaert, meanwhile, was losing ground to Vermeersch as his ride went on, going from six seconds up on the UAE rider at the first checkpoint to 21 down at the third.
In the end, Evenepoel, who once again raced with the bizarre helmet visor, unreleased Castelli skinsuit, and aero chest fairing that aided him as he won the Critérium du Dauphiné time trial, crossed the line with a time of 44:43 at an average speed of 54.34kph.
It was the 20th time trial win of his career, six years on from his first at the European Championships in Alkmaar, coming 1:11 up on silver medallist Vermeersch as Segaert took bronze, 1:32 down. Sander De Pestel (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) was the only other man within two minutes of the new champion, finishing fourth at 1:52 down.
How it unfolded
With reigning champion Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) not competing, there’d be a new name in the colours of Belgian time trial champion this summer, though 2022 champion Evenepoel headed the start list as overwhelming favourite for another victory.
As the first man to set out on two laps of a flat 20.1km circuit in Brasschaat, Michiel Hillen (Baloise Glowi Lions) was the first to cross the finish line. He’d set the first, and by default, quickest time of the day with a 48:52 at an average speed of 49.36kph.
He’d stick at the top of the standings for a short while as the likes of Siebe Deweirdt (Flanders-Baloise) and Tom Pacquot (Intermarché-Wanty) passed through with times of 50:21 and 51:25.
Deweirdt’s teammate, Victor Vercouillie, fared better, though, speeding through the 40km course much quicker than Hillen. He hit the top spot with a time of 48:09, 43 seconds up.
Victor Vercouillie (Flanders-Baloise) held top spot early on before dropping to a final placing of 10th (Image credit: Getty Images)
Out on course, Vermeersch looked good to take over the hot seat from Vercouillie, setting the quickest times at the intermediate checkpoints. The former Paris-Roubaix podium finisher slid out on a corner just before the third checkpoint, however, costing him valuable seconds.
He’d still go quickest, despite the spill, though. As Vermeersch raced to the finish, Brem Deman (Flanders-Baloise) had edged ahead of Vercouillie’s time by four seconds. Vermeersch had decimated the leaderboards, going 2:10 quicker than Deman to set the new benchmark at 45:55.
Following a short break, names including Steff Cras (TotalEnergies), 2020 bronze medallist Frederik Frison (Q36.5), and Rune Herregodts (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), a bronze medallist in both 2023 and 2024, would set out in the second batch of riders.
All eyes would be on the last two men, however, with Segaert, twice a European under-23 time trial champion, followed by the last man, Evenepoel.
With a time six seconds up on Vermeersch, Segaert would go quickest at the first checkpoint after 10km, but Evenepoel was in flying form. Vermeersch, still in the hot seat as the quickest man at the finish, could only laugh as the world’s best time trialist blazed through the checkpoint with a time of 10:38, a full 26 seconds quicker than Segaert.
Florian Vermeersch (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) raced to the silver medal (Image credit: Getty Images)
Still, Vermeersch at least looked good for a podium spot, his provisional third place holding firm 1:07 up on Cras as the TotalEnergies rider passed through the third checkpoint after 30km.
Fewer than 12 minutes later, Evenepoel was through the second checkpoint, this time crossing the line with a time of 22:16 that put him 40 seconds up on Vermeersch, and 52 seconds up on Segaert, who had lost ground during the second quarter of the race.
This time, Vermeersch smiled and shook his head, but he and Segaert at least looked comfortable in the silver- and bronze-medal positions. Fourth and fifth places, De Pestel and Crash, lay further adrift at 1:13 and 1:19 down.
At the third checkpoint, the placings seemed all but confirmed, as Evenepoel topped the standings with a time of 33:08, 49 seconds up on Vermeersch and 1:10 up on Segaert.
De Pestel, 1:38 down, and Cras, 1:56 down, would soon take their places on the podium hot seats, but they’d soon be knocked out of the top three, eventually crossing the finish line 41 seconds and 1:18 down on Vermeersch.
Just two men remained out on course at that point, and the race was already Evenepoel’s. He blew past his two-minute man, Segaert, with just under a kilometre to go to confirm his domination before speeding to the line as the only rider to complete the course in under 45 minutes.
Segaert came through seconds later to confirm his bronze medal, but the day was all about the man who had just finished, with Evenepoel decisively securing another Belgian time trial title.
Alec Segaert (Lotto) rounded out the podium in third place (Image credit: Getty Images)Results
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