Edoardo Affini (Italy) claimed the European title in the elite men's 31.3km individual time trial in Hasselt on Wednesday.
Switzerland's Stefan Küng finished just shy of 10 seconds slower to take the silver medal, while Mattia Cattaneo was a surprising third, making two Italians on the podium.
It was a tight race between the 2021 European Champion Küng and the 2018 under-23 European Champion Affini, with Küng going out harder in the first 10 kilometres. The Swiss rider was quickest at that first check, 14 seconds ahead of Affini.
However, by the second check after 20 kilometres, Affini had picked up his pace considerably while Küng was more steady and came through the check 0.62 seconds slower than Affini.
Over the final 11.3 kilometres, Küng rallied and clawed back a few seconds but it wasn't enough. He came in 9.59 slower than the Italian's time.
Affini is the first Italian winner of the European men's time trial which was added to the UEC's programme in 2016, and it was an emotional moment for the 28-year-old who received a congratulatory phone call from compatriot Filippo Ganna after the finish.
"I don't know what to say," Affini said fighting back tears. "It's a great feeling. It's been a long time without a win. I've always been there. I've always done my job.
"Today I started without pressure. The last three weeks have been a difficult Vuelta for me. One of the most difficult Grand Tours ever for me. On Sunday I did not feel so good. It was OK, but I felt like I lacked the power to achieve a good result.
"My coach said it might feel better later. I started and, strangely enough, I felt quite OK," Affini added. "Now it's hard to believe. I'm trying to enjoy it as much as possible. Tomorrow, I can achieve another good result with my national team."
The European Championships continue on Thursday with the team time trial mixed relay.
Results
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