The men’s elite individual time trial discipline of the 2025 European Continental Championships was contested on a 24-kilometer route in flat terrain from Loriol-sur-Drome to Etoile-sur-Rhone, near the Eastern bank of the Rhone River.

The 2025 European Continental Championships are contested in the Rhone-Ardeche region of Southern France. Defending European time trial champion Edoardo Affini (Italy) had chosen not to attempt to defend his title in this year’s race.

Turkey’s Tahir Yigit was the first rider to start his time trial and leave the start ramp in the Loriol-sur-Drome village. He was followed by Ognjen Ilic, Danny van der Tuuk, Ilie Seremet, Andrea Mifsud and other relatively unknown cyclists that were launched from the start ramp at one-minute intervals.

Dylan van Baarle set an early fastest time for the Netherlands at Intermediate Timing Point 1. Van Baarle normally races for Team Visma-Lease a Bike and was now competing for his home nation.

France’s Remi Cavagna, known as the TGV train from Clermont-Ferrand, launched his time trial as did Italy’s Lorenzo Milesi, Germany’s Max Walscheid, Switzerland’s Stefan Bissegger, and other riders. Portugal’s Joao Almeida chose not to start his time trial.

While Denmark’s Niklas Larsen set a new fastest time at Intermediate Timing Point 1, fellow countryman Mads Pedersen left the start ramp.

Larsen also set the fastest time at Intermediate Timing Point 2 ahead of Van Baarle, Cavagna, Walscheid, and Milesi.

Italy’s Filippo Ganna – one of the pre-race favorites to take the win – left the start ramp in his blue speed suit. Great Britain’s Joshua Tarling also started his time trial.

Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel was the final rider to leave the start ramp. The newly crowned World Champion looked fast in his World Champion rainbow skinsuit and was clearly aiming for a win again today.

Pedersen set a new fastest time at Intermediate Timing Point 1. He was now ahead of Larsen, Daan van Hoole (Netherlands), Mathias Vacek (Czech Republic), and Ethan Hayter (Great Britain). It did, however, not take long before Tarling blast past the timing point in an even better time.

Italy’s powerhouse Filippo Ganna then set a new fastest time at Intermediate Timing Point 1. Evenepoel, however, proved even faster than Ganna in the first kilometers of the time trial.

Further up the road, Larsen was still fastest at Intermediate Timing Point 2, followed by Hoole, Hayter, and Alec Segaert (Belgium). Tarling then set a new fastest time.

Denmark’s Larsen set the fastest time at Intermediate Timing Point 3, followed by Walscheid, Cavagna, and Milesi.

Larsen also set a new fastest time when he crossed the finish line in Etoile-sur-Rhone and entered the hot seat.

Evenepoel was again showing his great dominance on his time trial bike. The Belgian World Champion delivered new fastest time at both Intermediate Timing Point 1 and 2. It appeared riders such as Larsen, Ganna, and Tarling would not stand a chance of securing the gold medal in today’s European Continental Championships.

Larsen was ahead of Hayter and Hoole at the finish, but additional riders had yet to finish their time trials. Frenchman Bruno Armirail crossed the finish line in the sixth-fastest time – he will be riding for Jonas Vingegaard’s Team Visma-Lease a Bike next season. Mads Pedersen finished in the ninth-best time, with more riders yet to finish.

Joshua Tarling approached the finish line. The rider from Great Britain had delivered a strong performance in the final kilometers and almost beat Denmark’s Larsen. Larsen, however, was faster and remained in the hot seat with Ganna and Evenepoel yet to finish their time trials.

Italy’s Filippo Ganna blast across the finish line in a new fastest time and entered the hot seat for Italy. Would Evenepoel be faster than the Italian time trial expert?

Remco Evenepoel did what he came for. The Belgian Olympic Champion and World Champion set a new fastest time and crossed the finish line as gold medal winner of the men’s elite time trial of the 2025 European Continental Championships. Italy’s Filippo Ganna took silver, while Denmark’s Niklas Larsen took bronze for Denmark – to much surprise for many spectators and experts.

“I am really happy with my victory today and it feels special to be on the podium here in France,” gold medal winner Remco Evenepoel explained to Roadcycling.com shortly after the race.

“The wind was really strong, so it was sometimes difficult to take the corners today. Tomorrow I am going to rest and then I’ll have some good training sessions here. Later this week I will ride Sunday’s route while taking it easy,” Evenepoel added.

Great Britain’s Ethan Hayter and Joshua Tarling did not secure any medals in today’s race.

Stay tuned to Roadcycling.com for additional coverage from the 2025 European Continental Championships.