Remco Evenepoel made history on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal 2026, winning his fourth consecutive world time trial title with a dominant performance that left Italy's Filippo Ganna nearly a minute behind. The Belgian completed the 39.2 km course in 44:53.13, while Ganna took silver at 57.31 seconds back.
Evenepoel's dominance reshapes the discipline
The 26-year-old Belgian now stands alone in the record books — no rider had ever won four straight world time trial titles before. His average speed of 52.4 km/h underscored a performance that team Italy's coach Marco Villa acknowledged allows the squad to approach the rest of the week with greater composure.
Evenepoel's advantage began at the first checkpoint. He passed the 10.7 km mark in 12:17.63, already 22 seconds ahead of Ganna, who sat tenth. The gap widened to 34 seconds by the second intermediate and reached 48 seconds by the third. The technical nature of the Montreal circuit — featuring 18 turns in the opening section alone and multiple 180-degree hairpins — suited Evenepoel's improved cornering skills.
"I was told I had a clear advantage, I was in control the whole time," Evenepoel said at the finish. He admitted he may have "overdone it at the first checkpoint" but maintained the effort throughout.
Ganna's recovery falls short
Ganna's slow start proved costly. The Italian, a former world champion in 2020 and 2021, found himself having to chase virtually after that opening section. He climbed to fourth by the second checkpoint and reclaimed second place by the third, but the deficit to Evenepoel had grown too large.
This marks Ganna's third silver medal in four years and his sixth world championship medal overall. The gap between the two has widened progressively: from 6 seconds in 2024 and 12 in 2023 to nearly a full minute on Montreal's roads.
France's Paul Seixas claimed bronze at 46:45, announcing himself as a potential future rival. The 19-year-old will celebrate his 20th birthday this week.
Reusser defends women's title on her birthday
Switzerland's Marlen Reusser gave herself a memorable 35th birthday gift, defending her world time trial crown with a winning time of 50:24.44. She finished 40 seconds ahead of Britain's Zoe Bäckstedt, with Germany's Franziska Koch taking bronze another five seconds back.
Italy's Elisa Longo Borghini narrowly missed the podium, finishing fourth at just five seconds from bronze. The result exceeded her own expectations — she had arrived in Canada anticipating a placing between tenth and twelfth after managing a knee problem in recent weeks.
"I'm surprised at myself," the Piedmontese rider admitted after the race. "I maybe started a bit too slow, but I didn't expect this time and it gives me a lot of confidence for Saturday."
Longo Borghini's performance signals strong form ahead of Saturday's road race. Teammate Vittoria Guazzini finished tenth.
What comes next
Evenepoel's stated goal is a doubles title with Sunday's road race, where he will face more unpredictable tactics. Mexican rider Del Toro, sixth in the time trial, figures among those who could test the Belgian's patience.
The women's road race is scheduled for Saturday, 26 September. Longo Borghini will first compete in the Mixed Relay on Wednesday, 22 September alongside her Italian teammates.
Elsewhere, Mathieu Van der Poel announced his own form with a 175 km solo breakaway at the Tour du Luxembourg, while Italy's Davide Piganzoli claimed the race's overall classification, positioning himself as an outsider for Sunday's men's road race.
