Montreal hosted the World Time-Trial Championships on Sunday, where Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel secured his fourth consecutive world title in the discipline, further solidifying his dominance in the sport. The 26-year-old Belgian entered the race as the clear favorite and delivered a commanding performance throughout the course.
Evenepoel established an early lead, gaining more than 30 seconds by the second intermediate checkpoint, which came just past the midpoint of the course. He continued to extend his advantage, ultimately finishing nearly a minute ahead of second-place Filippo Ganna of Italy. Paul Seixas of France claimed the bronze, arriving 15 seconds after Ganna.
By winning his fourth straight world time-trial championship, Evenepoel became the first cyclist to achieve this feat. Additionally, he matched the record for total time-trial world titles, tying with Germany’s Tony Martin and Switzerland’s Fabian Cancellara. Reflecting on his victory, Evenepoel described the win as both a significant goal and a source of motivation. “I’m super happy. It was a wonderful experience,” he said following the race.
Already the reigning Olympic champion in both the time-trial and road race events, Evenepoel remains unbeaten in time-trial competitions since the 2025 Tour de France. This season has been particularly successful for the Belgian, highlighted by victories at the Amstel Gold Race, Clasica San Sebastian, and Grand Prix de Quebec. He also finished second to Tadej Pogacar in the Tour de France.
Looking ahead, Evenepoel aims to capture a second road race world title in Montreal next Sunday, intending to become the first male cyclist to claim both the time-trial and road race world titles in the same year. He noted that he would use the intervening days to rest and prepare for the road race. "Full focus on Sunday from Tuesday," he said.
The race for the runner-up position saw Italy’s Filippo Ganna start slowly, sitting 10th at the first split but rising to second by the third intermediate time check. Despite his progress, Ganna was unable to close the gap to Evenepoel. Jakob Soderqvist of Sweden, the reigning under-23 time-trial champion, excelled in the early stages, holding second place at the first two checkpoints before fading over the last 10 kilometers to finish fifth. Meanwhile, teenage French rider Paul Seixas paced himself effectively, delivering a strong final segment to secure third place.
In the women’s time-trial event, Switzerland’s Marlen Reusser successfully defended her world title. Her closest rival, Dutch cyclist Demi Vollering, finished an unexpected eighth, unable to challenge Reusser’s performance.