Evenepoel Secures Third Consecutive
World Championship Individual Time Trial Medal
Remco Evenepoel produced a ride for the history books to claim his third consecutive medal at the World Individual Time Trial Championships held in Kigali, proving not only that he is the finest time trialist of his generation, but also one of the greatest in cycling history.
A Brutal Course in Kigali, Rwanda
The 40.6km course featured four climbs, including a cobbled ascent, and more than 800 vertical meters of elevation. Despite the challenging terrain, Evenepoel delivered one of the most dominant displays ever seen in the competition. Starting last, he went fastest through all three checkpoints and secured gold with a phenomenal time of 49:46, averaging nearly 49 km/h.
Catching Pogacar on the Kimihurura Climb
On his way to glory, the 25-year-old caught and passed Tadej Pogacar (Slovenia), who had started two and a half minutes earlier. The decisive move came on the steep Kimihurura climb, where Evenepoel surged past Pogacar before celebrating his seventh gold medal at an international event.
Photo credit: ©Dario Belingheri /Getty Images
Champion’s Reflections After the Race
The Olympic Champion said after his perfect day:
It’s a fantastic day and it makes me incredibly proud of what I achieved here! I felt pretty good straight away. On the first flat part, I felt that the legs were turning and was holding my pace without going over the limit. And then, the first climb of the day was actually quite hard, together with the last two ones, so I really pushed there. When I saw I had quite a big gap, I just said to myself that I had to keep the pace high the entire time. In the final part, I hated the cobbles, because it was so hard to really push through them, but in the end, I won, and this is the most important thing
Photo credit: ©Dario Belingheri /Getty Images
Ilan Van Wilder Joins His Countryman on the Podium
Joining Evenepoel on the podium was Ilan Van Wilder, who claimed his first-ever medal at a major competition after producing a tremendous ride that earned him bronze in Kigali. The result delivered a memorable 1–3 finish for Belgium and made Soudal Quick-Step one of the few trade teams in history to place two riders in the top three at the World ITT Championships.
Van Wilder Celebrates Career-Best Performance
Ilan said after the race:
I can’t tell you how happy I am. The race was a difficult one, but I gave everything I had and tried to keep the same tempo the entire time, and I’m delighted that I could be on the podium together with Remco. It’s an unforgettable day in my career, and for Belgian cycling. I worked hard for this and I’m happy that I got rewarded for this with such a beautiful medal.
Watch the 2025 World Individual Time Trial Championships
Top Photo Credit: ©David Ramos /Getty Images
