"First next week": Is Evenepoel suddenly top favorite for road race after time trial masterclass?

After 10 kilometers, he was already 45 seconds ahead of the competition. “I felt pretty good right away on the first flat section,” Evenepoel said in the flash interview. “My legs were turning well, and I was able to maintain my pace without going over the limit. The first climb was quite difficult, along with the last two. I pushed hard there. I noticed a significant gap, so I maintained a pace that I could sustain until the foot of the cobbled climb. There I went full throttle.”

On the climbs, he was able to gain even more time on Pogacar, and on the cobbled climb, he caught up with him. “I hated the cobbles. It was tough to push through at the end, but in the end, I won, which is the most important thing. And Ilan (Van Wilder, ed.), my teammate, finished third. A phenomenal day for us.”

Evenepoel was modest about overtaking his Slovenian rival. “I don't think it mattered who it was, I just wanted to push as hard as possible from the first climb and recover on the descent,” he says modestly. “When I saw that I was closing in quickly on the cobbles, I knew I had to keep pushing. But it was very tough on the slight incline at the end. I didn't want to go over the limit because the last part was still so difficult.”

The road race is scheduled for next week. Normally, Pogacar would be the top favorite, but with a performance like this, Evenepoel may now be right behind - or even ahead of - the Slovenian. In any case, the world champion from Wollongong is not hiding his ambitions. “I hope I can maintain this form until next week.”

Along with Tony Martin and Michael Rogers, Evenepoel is now the third three-time world time trial champion. “The list, with Tony and Michael, is very impressive. It is a great honor for me to add myself to it. But next year I have to go for another one, because I want to be the first to win four in a row. Of course, I have to enjoy this one first, and we still have next week to go. But I am pleased, it is a big motivation boost.”