Record-breaking Remco Evenepoel makes it four in a row with blistering time trial performance

History arrived on the opening day of the UCI Road World Championships in Montreal as Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel carved his name into the record books. The 26-year-old Olympic champion executed a flawless ride across the 39.2-kilometer course to secure his fourth successive elite men’s time trial title.

Affectionately nicknamed the aerobullet by cycling followers, Evenepoel entered the event as the overwhelming favorite and lived up to the billing from the opening start ramp on Sunday. He stopped the clock at a blistering 44:53, leaving his closest competitors fighting for distant podium spots.

Remco Evenepoel Equals Time Trial Greats in Montreal

Evenepoel’s victory in Montreal places him alongside Fabian Cancellara and Tony Martin, each of whom captured four world titles in the discipline. He now stands as the first man to claim four consecutive victories in the elite category.

The course presented a test of pacing and technical skill, featuring a demanding technical start and finish paired with a powerful middle section. Evenepoel admitted that his rapid early pace caused him some initial concern before he settled into an unbeatable rhythm.

“Honestly, yeah. After 6k, we had a personal time check, and I knew that I was already in front of the rest. And I thought that the first intermediate that I kind of over-paced, but I just could keep pushing.”

By the second intermediate time check, Evenepoel had already built an advantage of more than 30 seconds over the chasing field. His dominance on the day meant he has not lost a time trial since the Tour de France in 2025.

Filippo Ganna and Paul Seixas Complete the Men’s Podium

Italy’s Filippo Ganna relied on his trademark negative split strategy to salvage a silver medal after a sluggish start. Ganna languished in 10th position at the first time check before clawing his way back through the intermediate splits, ultimately finishing 57 seconds behind the winner.

France’s Paul Seixas claimed the bronze medal, finishing 1:13 behind Evenepoel in a remarkably mature performance for a 19-year-old. Meanwhile, young Swedish rider Jakob Soderqvist—last year’s under-23 champion in the discipline—held the second-fastest intermediate times early on, but slid out on a corner and ultimately faded to fifth place over the closing 10 kilometers.

Marlen Reusser Retains Women’s Crown Amid Birthday Glory

In the women’s elite time trial, Switzerland’s Marlen Reusser retained her world championship crown on her 35th birthday, securing a comfortable victory after defeating a scare from rising British talent Zoe Backstedt.

Backstedt, competing in a time trial roughly 12 kilometers longer than any she had previously tackled, set the fastest times at the opening two intermediate checks. Reusser utilized her endurance in the second half of the course to overhaul the 21-year-old Briton by 40 seconds, while Germany’s Franziska Koch secured the bronze medal.

Reusser admitted to pre-race nerves regarding the extended distance and pacing strategy, noting that time trials of this length are rarely contested. Demi Vollering, the European road race champion, endured a difficult outing and finished a distant eighth.