Phoenix 24
A remarkable performance in Montreal rewrites the record books.
Montreal, Canada.
Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel secured his fourth consecutive individual time trial world championship on September 20, becoming the first cyclist to achieve that sequence in the elite men’s category. The 26-year-old completed the 39.2-kilometer course in 44 minutes and 53.13 seconds, averaging 52.4 kilometers per hour. His victory at the UCI Road World Championships confirmed another milestone in a career defined by exceptional performances against the clock.
Evenepoel finished 57.31 seconds ahead of Italy’s Filippo Ganna, who claimed silver, while French cyclist Paul Seixas secured bronze, 1 minute and 13.04 seconds behind the winner. The Belgian established the fastest time at every intermediate checkpoint, maintaining his advantage throughout the demanding route. His performance combined sustained power with precise handling across a course that offered little room for error.
The race began with technical sections requiring careful cornering before moving into faster terrain along the St. Lawrence River and across the Samuel De Champlain Bridge. Riders also navigated the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve before confronting an uphill finish in Old Montreal. Evenepoel managed the changing demands effectively, building an advantage substantial enough to celebrate with four raised fingers as he crossed the finish line.
The result places him alongside Fabian Cancellara and Tony Martin, who also accumulated four world championship titles in the discipline. However, neither achieved four consecutive victories. Evenepoel’s uninterrupted sequence began in Scotland in 2023, continued in Switzerland and Rwanda, and reached its latest milestone in Canada.
The competition also produced an important result for France. Seixas, just 19 years old, secured his first elite world championship medal, adding another achievement to his developing professional career. Sweden’s Jakob Söderqvist appeared capable of challenging for a podium position but crashed on a corner near the finish and ultimately placed fifth.
Mexico’s Isaac del Toro finished sixth, approximately one minute and 39 seconds behind Evenepoel, while Spain’s Iván Romeo occupied 15th place. Their performances reflected the depth of an international field in which differences in pacing, technical execution and aerodynamic efficiency determined the final classification.
The championships’ opening day also featured a successful title defense in the women’s individual time trial. Switzerland’s Marlen Reusser won on her 35th birthday, finishing ahead of Britain’s Zoe Bäckstedt and Germany’s Franziska Koch. Her victory completed a day in which both defending elite champions retained their rainbow jerseys.
Evenepoel now turns his attention to the men’s road race on September 27, a substantially different challenge demanding endurance, tactical positioning and adaptation to collective racing dynamics.
His fourth consecutive time trial crown establishes a historical benchmark in a discipline where seconds often separate champions. In Montreal, the difference was almost a minute.
Detrás de cada dato, la intención. / Behind every data point, the intention.