Wang wins junior men's time trial title at Flanders World Championships

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Gustav Wang (Denmark) scorched to victory in the junior men’s time trial at the UCI Road World Championships, beating Joshua Tarling (Great Britain) to the gold medal by 20 seconds on the 22.3km course.

European Champion Alec Segaert (Belgium) had to settle for third place at 29 seconds. The Belgian was the last rider down the start ramp and he edged out Carl-Frederik Bevort (Denmark) by half a second to claim bronze. Eddy le Huitouze (France) took fifth place ahead of Cian Uijtdebroeks (Belgium).

Tarling was the second rider down the start ramp and it was immediately clear that he was in the process of setting a time that would serve as a reference point for the medal candidates who followed, and so it proved.

Wang was also among the early starters, and he came through the intermediate check 14 seconds clear of Tarling before tacking another half a dozen seconds onto his advantage in the final 10km of the pan-flat course.

As Wang settled into the hot seat, it soon became apparent that the later starters would struggle to match his brisk time. Like Tarling, the Dane had not lined out at the recent European Championships, and the riders who had shone in Trento were eclipsed by their performances.

European silver medallist Uijtdebroeks, who will move directly to the WorldTour with Bora-Hansgrohe next year, had to settle for sixth at 41 seconds, just behind the bronze medallist from Trento, Le Huitouze.

Wang’s fellow countryman Bevort also delivered a fine display on the 22.8km course and he sat in the bronze medal position at the intermediate check, just ahead of the stylish Segaert, who was the last man down the start ramp.

As Segaert approached the finish line, the world title was already in the possession of Wang but the Belgian managed to summon up just enough of a surge to pip Bevort to bronze.

Wang’s rainbow jersey was Denmark’s second in as many days after Johan Price-Pejtersen’s victory in the under-23 time trial. He is the second Dane to win the junior men’s time trial after Mads Würtz Schmidt’s victory in Copenhagen a decade ago.

“I think they just know a lot about being aerodynamic,” Wang smiled when asked about his country’s aptitude in the discipline.

“It feels amazing. I dreamt about this since I won nationals the first time in 2019 as a junior. The junior Worlds was cancelled last year, so it feels really good to prove that I’m the best in the world.”