Remco Evenepoel, Grace Brown add time trial world titles to Olympic golds

Belgian Remco Evenepoel and Australian Grace Brown became the first cyclists to win the world title and the Olympic title in the time trial in the same year, each prevailing at worlds while riding gold bikes in Zurich, Switzerland, on Sunday.

Evenepoel, 24, repeated as world men’s time trial champion, covering a 28.6-mile course in 53 minutes, 1.98 seconds after his chain came off and was fixed with about 30 seconds before his start. He said afterward that he rode without a power meter.

“It was very difficult because I had to push, but I could never go over the limit because I didn’t know what I was doing exactly,” he said. “It must have been, maybe, the most difficult time trial of my life.”

Evenepoel prevailed by 6.43 seconds over Italian Filippo Ganna, the 2020 and 2021 World champion who also was runner-up to the Belgian at the Paris Olympics.

Evenepoel is the only man to win Olympic and world titles in the road race and the time trial.

Earlier Sunday, Brown, a 32-year-old who plans to retire after this season, won the women’s event after making up an eight-second deficit to Dutchwoman Demi Vollering over the last five miles.

Brown covered the 18.5-mile course in 39:16.04, beating Vollering by 16.79 seconds.

“It honestly feels like I’m just in a bit of a dream these last couple of months, like these big goals that seem ambitious, but I’ve just been able to get out on the road and do it and realize those dreams,” she said.

Brown, the silver medalist the last two years by a combined 19 seconds, became the first Australian woman to win a world title in the time trial or the road race. Australian women previously won 13 silver or bronze medals between those two events.

“A lot of people are saying that (I should keep competing), but I’m still finishing up at the end of this season,” Brown said. “I just feel really, really lucky to have had the end of my career like this. It’s special.”

American Chloé Dygert, last year’s world champion, took bronze, 56.42 seconds behind. Dygert also took bronze at the Olympics.

Another American, 49-year-old, two-time world champion Amber Neben, was 10th.

Worlds conclude next weekend with the senior women’s and men’s road races.

2024 UCI World Road Cycling Championships Men’s Time Trial Results

Gold: Remco Evenepoel (BEL) — 53:01.98
Silver: Filippo Ganna (ITA) — +6.43
Bronze: Edoardo Affini (ITA) — +54.44
4. Joshua Tarling (GBR) — +1:17.63
5. Jay Vine (AUS) — +1:24.18
6. Kasper Asgreen (NOR) — +1:30.11
7. Tobias Foss (NOR) — +1:44.50
8. Stefan Kung (SUI) — +1:48.34
9. Victor Campenaerts (BEL) — +1:55.16
10. Brandon McNulty (USA) — +1:58.03
12. Primoz Roglic (SLO) — +2:06.52

2024 UCI World Road Cycling Championships Women’s Time Trial Results

Gold: Grace Brown (AUS) — 39:16.04
Silver: Demi Vollering (NED) — +16.79
Bronze: Chloe Dygert (USA) — +56.42
4. Antonia Niedermaier (GER) — +1:05.10
5. Lotte Kopecky (BEL) — +1:39.44
6. Christina Schweinberger (AUT) — +1:44.14
7. Anna Henderson (GBR) — +1:44.39
8. Ellen van Dijk (NED) — +1:47.38
9. Juliette Labous (FRA) — +1:51.68
10. Amber Neben (USA) — +2:20.33