
After the World Title and Olympic gold, Remco Evenepoel has won his second national time trial title. The Belgian, starting as the big favorite, left all his rivals behind with significant time gaps. Florian Vermeersch finished second, one minute and eleven seconds behind, while Alec Segaert claimed bronze with a delay of 1'31".
The riders covered a two-lap circuit in Brasschaat, with a distance of 40.2 kilometers.
The first to start with medal possibilities was Florian Vermeersch (Team UAE-Emirates). Despite falling in a tight curve, he still managed to set an important time in the first part with a lead of over two minutes over the others.
The penultimate rider, Alec Segaert (Lotto), also failed to improve Florian Vermeersch's time and secured bronze. Then came Remco Evenepoel, who was too fast for everyone, even lapping Alec Segaert in the last kilometer.
"I'm happy with this victory, my first since my high-altitude training camp, especially because it came on a tough course where you really couldn't recover," Evenepoel explained just before the awards ceremony. "I tried to maintain a consistent pace and, since I had good sensations from the beginning, I gave my all. I'm happy with the result, of reclaiming the national jersey, and of winning the last time trial before the Tour de France."
This result is important for the Belgian, who after the disappointment at the Critérium du Dauphiné, found new enthusiasm in this victory.
"This result gives us even more confidence for Sunday. It will be a different course, with many strong riders at the start, but we're going with a solid team and we have more cards to play and are motivated to give our maximum."