There was no surprise in the Men’s Junior Time Trial at the 2018 UCI Road World Championships in Innsbruck-Tirol today as Belgian phenomenon Remco Evenepoel smashed the times of his rivals.
Australia’s Luke Plapp occupied the hot seat up until the favourite crossed the line. Evenepoel rode at an average speed of almost 50km/h on the Junior-limited gear to win the race by 1’23″ from Plapp with Italy’s Andrea Piccolo finishing 1’37” down.
It has been an amazing season for 18 year-old Evenepoel who has won numerous races including Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne Juniors Guido Reybrouck Classic, the European Championships Road Race and Time-Trial, and the GC and stage wins at the Course de la Paix Juniors, Trophée Centre Morbihan and the GP Général Patton.
Remco Evenepoel: “I came here to Innsbruck three weeks ago on a recce. I already enjoyed the nice weather and riding with almost no holes in the roads. The climbs are short but pretty steep; that’s what I like. This was one of the nicest courses I have done in my cycling career. I’ve worked very hard to become the World Champion. I had in mind a good power output level that I was able to keep up with. In the last 500 metres, I was told that I could raise my hands up. It’s very nice to celebrate a Time Trial victory before crossing the line… it’s also exceptional for me.
“It was emotional because two weeks ago, I met with the family of the late Igor Decraene in their village and they said: ‘you’re the only one we want to see winning the World Championship.’ In Belgium, people say that I win ‘with two fingers in the nose’ but it all comes from hard work. Being the new Eddy Merckx is not something I want to hear. I want to be somebody new. I’m the new me.”
Luke Plapp, second, said: “In Australia, we don’t know how good the Europeans are because we don’t race them. But we knew that Remco [Evenepoel] has already signed for Quick Step. He’s exceptional. I had a good preparation for these Worlds after I won two gold medals at the Track Worlds one month ago – but I didn’t have the power to match Remco.”
Andrea Piccolo, third, said: “I knew Remco [Evenepoel] from the Trophée Centre-Morbihan in May. I was lucky enough to break away with him before he dropped me. At the European Championships, we had a tactic for winning the road race but it was useless because I rode away from the gun and we didn’t even manage to maintain the gap. It’s a good result to make the podium alongside him and I’m first year Junior so I can hope for more next year.”
MEN JUNIOR INDIVIDUAL TIME TRIAL PODIUM
1 – Remco Evenepoel – 27.7km in 33’15.24”, average speed 49.979km/h
2 – Lucas Plapp at 1’23.66”
3 – Andrea Piccolo at 1’37.62”
