Cycling World Cup
Next World Cup crown for Evenepoel – German disappoint
Disappointed in Glasgow: The German cyclist Lennard Kämna. photo
© David Pintens/Belga/dpa
Ten months after winning the world title on the road, Remco Evenepoel also takes the rainbow jersey in the time trial. The time trial ended disappointingly for the two German starters.
Completely worn out but overjoyed, Remco Evenepoel fell into the arms of his wife Oumaima in the shadow of the medieval Stirling Castle and celebrated his next coup.
“I’m super proud and totally happy. After half an hour I knew that today was such a day,” said Evenepoel, after he had stormed up the narrow streets of Stirling’s old town and found himself at the World Cycling Championships in Scotland crowned the youngest time trial world champion.
“That was one of my big goals this season,” added the 23-year-old, who is already being celebrated as the new Eddy Merckx in his home country. Ten months after his triumph in the World Championship road race, Evenepoel continued his remarkable foray into cycling’s second major rainbow jersey and also clearly won the youngsters’ duel with Tadej Pogacar.
Evenepoel won the 47.8 kilometer course in 55:19 minutes ahead of Italian hour record holder Filippo Ganna and the surprisingly strong youngster Joshua Tarling from Great Britain. Pogacar, on the other hand, played no role, the Slovenian lost a good three minutes to the top.
Germans play a supporting role
When the stars of the scene fought an exciting battle for seconds at the old fortress in the east of Scotland, the two German representatives, Lennard Kämna and Nils Politt, only played a supporting role and even missed out on the top ten placement, which is so important for the Olympics. “It’s a disappointment, there’s no other way to put it. It’s not something we’re toasting to,” said Kämna, who was stopped in 19th place, three minutes behind. For the German champion Politt (3:55) it was only enough for 32nd place.
For Evenepoel, it’s compensation for losing the road race title last Sunday and the next big win of the year after already celebrating classic victories in Liège and San Sebastian. The talent of the century was also unimpressed by the fuss about his future. His father Patrick had recently brought up a possible farewell to the Belgian racing team Soudal-Quick Step. The German WorldTour team Bora-hansgrohe is one of the potential new employers being discussed.
Evenepoel, who had already won three time trial medals in 2019 with second place and in the past two years with bronze, ensured the first Belgian World Cup triumph in the fight against the clock. After the first intermediate time at 12.6 kilometers, Evenepoel was still behind “Top Ganna”, but then the Vuelta champion turned up the heat and gradually increased the lead.
Tarling surprised
But the big surprise of the day was Tarling. At the first split, the 362nd in the world rankings was within striking distance of Ganna and Evenepoel. He had already cut off the stars Wout van Aert and Pogacar for half a minute. The British time trial champion has only been with the pros since the start of the season, and he hasn’t even won a WorldTour yet.
Things didn’t go so well for the two German starters. Politt “struggled quite a bit” riding through the Scottish countryside. Kämna was much faster, but it wasn’t enough to make it into the top ten.
In the junior area, the son of the former Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins had previously made people sit up and take notice. Ben Wiggins won his first World Championships medal with silver in the individual time trial, Germany’s Louis Leidert secured bronze in Australia’s Oscar Chamberlain’s victory.
At the Super World Cup in Scotland, which ends on Sunday, the German team still has a chance of a medal in the women’s road race in the elite category. The German champion Liane Lippert is one of the favorites.