Alec Segaert (Bahrain-Victorious) earned his first Belgian elite men's time trial national title on Friday, as race favourite Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) fell six seconds short for second place.
The 23-year-old Segaert gained steam on the second half of the 20.7km course and stopped the clock at 24:56, unseating his Bahrain teammate Vlad Van Mechelen by 14 seconds.
As the last rider on the course, Wellens had Segaert's time as his carrot, but could not break the 25-minute mark or Segaert's time to grab a second career TT win.
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Bahrain-Victorious scored two riders on the podium as Van Mechelen held on to third from an early finish among the 26 elite men's starters. Rune Herregodts (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) threatened but fell one second back for fourth.
Segaert added his first elite tri-colour time trial national jersey to a collection that included one U23 national title and a trio of U23 European TT wins. He was third last year and second as an elite in 2023. It was his third victory of the season, which included a strong impression with a stage 12 win at the Giro d'Italia.
The heat is on
Ice bags were a common sight at the start area of Etikhove, with riders trying to keep their core temperatures moderated in the sweltering heat. Because the mid-afternoon temperature reached 36°C in the Maarkedal area, the Belgian Cycling Federation shortened the men's time trial championship to one lap of the 20.7km course to help athletes, spectators and officials. The original course had been planned for two full laps.
The time trial course still provided a challenge across the Flemish hills with two short climbs - a 900-metre rise at 6.4% to open the contest immediately from the start ramp and then 12km later a 500-metre slope at 5.6%. From that ascent, riders could regain a steady rhythm for the final 8km.
Michiel Lambrecht (Team Flanders-Baloise) was the first rider on the course and set the standard at 27:16.
As the procession of riders completed the ride, the time kept dropping, and Vlad Van Mechelen (Bahrain-Victorious) took a turn in the hot seat with 25:10.
Van Mechelen's fastest time at the first intermediate checkpoint, 9:24, held until the final three riders passed, his Bahrain teammate Segaert posting a better time by four seconds and then Wellens two more seconds faster.
Through the second checkpoint, Segaert turned up the heat and went one second faster than Wellens, as the two set sights on unseating Van Mechelen at the finish.
Just behind Wellens was Ilan Van Wilder (Soudal-QuickStep), who won a bronze medal in the TT at Worlds last year, and he finished 1:01 back in eighth place.
Absent from this year's time trial were defending national champion and five-time world champion Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep), who will focus on the Tour de France, and former national ITT winner Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike), recovering from an elbow injury in a training ride that led to an infection.
Wellens will next defend his road race title on Sunday, 236.7km from Antwerp to Brasschaat.
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