Favourites Evenepoel and Kopecky race to new titles at time trial championships
Remco Evenepoel lived up to his role as favourite at the Belgian men's time trial championships on Friday. On the flat course in Brasschaat, the reigning world and Olympic champion was unbeatable against the clock. There were no surprises in the women's race either, as Lotte Kopecky won her seventh title.
25-year-old Evenepoel completed the two laps, totalling 40.2km, in 44:43 – with an average speed of 54.3km/h. He was 1:11 faster than Florian Vermeersch, who finished second despite a minor slip. The bronze went to Alec Segaert.
“It was pretty tough,” Evenepoel told Sporza. “It was a time trial where you had to keep pushing and there was little opportunity to recover. I had to maintain my tight pacing and rely on the split times. I was able to keep up with them well.”
This is the second Belgian time trial title for the Soudal Quick-Step team rider, following victory in Gavere in 2022. On Sunday, he will also start as one of the big favourites in the Belgian road championships in Binche. After that, the Tour de France is just around the corner. He finished third in the general qualification last year.
Seventh title for Kopecky
In the women's race, Kopecky was the big favourite and, as expected, she won the time trial championship for the seventh time in a row. The 29-year-old rider from Team SD-Worx-Protime completed the 20.1km in a time of 24:37.965, with an average speed of 48.96 km/h.
Kopecky, who started in the European champion's jersey, finished 58 seconds ahead of her closest opponent, Marthe Goossens. Lotte Claes took the last podium place.
“I actually started this time trial with doubts,” she sadi afterwards. “I've had a pretty intensive training period and I was a bit unsure how I would come out of it.”
Kopecky can win her fifth road title on Sunday in Binche. That would be her third in a row after the championships in Izegem and Zottegem.
#FlandersNewsService | Remco Evenepoel © BELGA PHOTO DAVID PINTENS
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