The future stars of time-trialing and stage-racing are reunited today for the U23 ITT World Championship. Leknessund is the biggest favourite on this long route, but he should have competition.
Renard was the first to go for France. Not a favourite by any mean, he crosses the time-check in 37’13. Krasts beats him by 1’07 and has a first good time at half race: 36’05, a time which resists to Rossi and Sam.
Wibisino is the first to cross in less than 36 minutes (35’51). In the same time, Renard finished in 1’08.
First of the Belgian pair, Vermeersch already lost 18 seconds at the time-check. Louvel won’t have much more chance for France. He’s 43 slower than Wibisino.
Krasts finished the race in 1h06 and takes the hot seat with 10 riders done. Half the riders have passed the time-check.
Giuletti is in a good day! He beats the best time for 1 second.
Not for long though: Cole is also 1 second faster.
Plapp isn’t this good: he loses 18 seconds.
Wibisino finished in 1h05’35. He takes the hot seat for 20 seconds. Behind him, Arensman goes strong 35’ at the time-check, 48’’ better than Cole. He’s even catching up on Mansouri.
The young Spaniard Azparren is in the same time.
Not as good for Potocki, who loses 20 seconds.
The stronger time-trialist are coming now, and Kmieliauskas takes the lead at half-race: 34’47. Giuletti takes the hot seat in 1h05’32. He only was 10th at the time-check though.
30 riders have finished, and we can have a look at the classification. Leknessund, Forssell and Evenepoel are on the road.
Arensman finished in 1’04, that’s 1 minute better than all other finishers. It was even too fast for us to see him!
Matsuda and Perez won’t win today: they respectively are 1’30 and 49’’ behind at the time-check.
All the favourites seem in trouble! Evenepoel lost 35 seconds and Leknessund 55 seconds. Only Forssell is on par, 1’’ behind.
Everybody crossed the time-check, let’s have a look at the top 20.
Azparren takes the hot seat: 1h04’10. He’s 3rd (+13’’) at the time-check. Potocki had a very strong second part! He’s provisional 3rd, 39 seconds slower than Azparren. Kmieliauskas is arriving too, and he easily beats Azparren – for 30 seconds.
Jorgensen could he climb back to the podium? Nope, +1’10, he’s in the same time as Potocki.
Not better for Evenpoel, who’s even 3 seconds slower.
All the pressure is on Forssell, but he can’t keep up: that’s 8’’ lost. Leknessund can’t even make it in the top 10.
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