Italian Edoardo Affini is the surprise winner of the European Continental Time Trial Championships. Affini, who is normally riding for Team Visma-Lease a Bike – won the 31.3-kilometer race in 00:35:15 and delivered an average speed of 53.27 km/h on the flat route from Heusden-Zolder to Hasselt in Belgium.

Affini won the event and the champion title ahead of pre-race favorite Stefan Küng of Switzerland, who recently won the final time trial stage of this year’s Vuelta a Espana. Küng was visibly disappointed on the podium following the race. 

The battle between the top riders in the European time trial championship event was intense and Küng was merely nine seconds slower than event winner Affini. 

“I simply don’t know how to describe this amazing race victory with words,” Affini explained to Roadcycling.com shortly after being celebrated on the podium. 

“I haven’t won a race since my first year as a professional cyclist, so I have been anxiously awaiting a victory for a long time. The last month has been very intense for me while at the Vuelta a Espana, so I started today’s race without expectations and unnecessary pressure.” 

“Tonight, I’ll be crying tears of joy with both my Italian and Dutch family. This victory gives my so much confidence and I’m now looking forward to future time trial races even more,” Affini added.

Affini’s fellow countryman Mattia Cattaneo finished third in the event and joined Affini on the podium to receive the bronze medal.

Thymen Arensman (Netherlands) finished fifth, Victor Campenaerts sixth for Belgium, Nils Politt (Germany) seventh, Denmark’s Kasper Asgreen eighth, and Stefan Bissegger twelfth for Switzerland.

Affini will wear the blue-yellow-white European Champion jersey in time trial events in the coming year and fly the yellow stars on the jersey at top speeds.

Stay tuned to Roadcycling.com for additional coverage from the professional road cycling season - including the 2024 UCI Cycling World Championships in Switzerland.

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