The U23 ITT World Championship takes place on the same course as the team time trial. The favorites won that event, Evenepoel is the organizer’s favorite for the U23 ITT but the second favorite, Rokas Kmieliauskas, is also the defending champion. No rider has ever won two U23 world titles in the same discipline, although Herklotz and Phinney both won a road race and a time trial title.
Startlist
A lot of evenly matched riders early, Mick Van Dijke (NED) is probably the best of them and he takes the hot seat by 24 seconds from Broxham (RSA).
Janssen (SUI) is the first of the stronger contenders on the course. He takes over first by 27 seconds.
Galvan Ramirez (MEX), Baroncini (ITA) and Gililmore (AUS) slot into 2nd, 3rd and 4th.
Vandevelde (BEL) is the first from the favorites to finish and he is the new leader, improving the best time to 58’29, 19 seconds up on Janssen.
Standings with half the riders finished:
Demiri (ALB) just cracks the top 10, + 1’06.
Ahmad (INA), puts in a surprisingly good time with a great last segment, he was 13th, 52 seconds down, at the 2nd check but he finishes in 4th, +0’30.
Blum (SUI) is the second serious Swiss challenger. He knocks his teammate out of 2nd, but is 17 seconds behind Vandevelde.
Waerenskjold (NOR) slots into 4th, 20 seconds down, the last few riders have all made up time in the last segment.
Milan (ITA) equals Waerenskjold’s time for 4th.
Skjelmose Jensen (DEN) looking to add some Worlds glory to his Avenir win.
It won’t come in the TT, he is 14 seconds down on the leader, 2nd place.
Aguilar Mendez (MEX) also comes up just short, he is 8 seconds down, bumping Skelmose Jensen to 3rd.
Plapp (AUS) was bested by Skelmose Jensen in Avenir. But it is reversed in the World Championship ITT, Plapp is the new leader 6 seconds up on Vendevelde. But three big guns still to come.
First of those is Vernon (GBR). He goes 10 seconds better to take the lead.
Evenepoel (BEL) is next.
He sets a new best time, 57’49, that is 22 seconds better than Vernon. Only Kmieliauskas (LIT) left on the course. He had 8 seconds on the Evenepoel at the last check.
And he holds that to the end, that’s back-to-back World U23 ITT titles for Rokas Kmieliauskas.
