Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates) secured his first title in the elite men's time trial at the Belgian Road Championships in Binche on Thursday. Wellens covered the 38.5km course with a winning time of 46:05 to claim the national champion's jersey.
Wellens finished nine seconds ahead of Alec Segaert (Lotto Dstny), who was forced to settle for second place for a third year in a row at the national championships.
Rune Herregodts (Intermarché-Wanty) took the final spot on the podium finishing the time trial at 29 seconds slower than the winning time.
“I rode faster than my pacing plan," Wellens said in an interview with Wielerflits after the time trial.
“Ten years ago, I was second, but after that, I didn't participate for a few years. I was motivated for this championship, I had also trained quite a bit on the time trial bike. But yesterday I was on an altitude training camp. I came here straight after my flight to explore the course.
"Today, I did the route a few more times. I came with ambition, but winning is always difficult. So I'm super happy with the win.”
The elite men completed two laps of the same 19.3-kilometre lap that the elite women raced earlier in the day, and the title was won by Lotte Kopecky.
Absent from the elite men's event was 2022 champion and reigning World Champion Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) and three-time winner in 2019, 2020 and 2023, Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike).
Wellens was part of a second wave of riders on the course and recorded the fastest first intermediate time check. Segaert, Herregodts and Ward Vanhoof (Team Flanders-Baloise) also had fast times as they raced through the first of the two time checks en route.
Wellens carried his speed through the next time check and maintained the fastest time of the day through to the finish.
Segaert and Herregodts were close to Wellens through the second time check, but ultimately, they gradually lost time and finished nine seconds and 29 seconds slower by the finish line.
Results
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