Preview European Time Trial Championships 2024 | In the absence of world champions, who will take the medals?
CyclingWednesday, 11 September 2024 at 10:25
The Vuelta a España is just behind us, but the European Championships in Belgian Limburg are about to begin. The time trial usually opens the festivities, so we start Wednesday with the time trial for both men and women. IDLProCycling.com looks ahead!
Practical information European Time Trial Championships 2024
- Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024
- Participants
- Classification: EK
In this article
- Latest winners
- Course, weather and times
- Favorites
- TV information
Latest winners European time trial championships
2023 Joshua Tarling / Marlen Reusser
2022 Stefan Bisegger / Marlen Reusser
2021 Stefan Küng / Marlen Reusser
2020 Stefan Küng / Anna van der Breggen
2019 Remco Evenepoel / Ellen van Dijk
2018 Victor Campenaerts / Ellen van Dijk
2017 Victor Campenaerts / Ellen van Dijk
2016 Jonathan Castroviejo / Ellen van Dijk
European Time Trial Championships 2024: Course, weather and times
This year's course is 31.2 kilometers long, 2.5 kilometers longer than a year earlier. This time trial is long in comparison, as it is the longest course at a European Time Trial Championship since 2018. Then, the riders had to ride a staggering 45 kilometers against the clock in Glasgow.
The beginning of the time trial is still somewhat technical, as the course winds in the first kilometers. Nevertheless, the road soon becomes a playground for the big contenders: long and flat straights. In Hasselt lies the finish line, where we will crown the eventual winner European champion(s).
Weather
It won't be hot for the riders since the temperature will not exceed 15 degrees Celsius on Wednesday in Hasselt. There could also be some raindrops during the afternoon; the chance of precipitation throughout the day is 95%. Winds will be fair to fairly solid, blowing from the west.
It won't be hot for the riders since the temperature will not exceed 15 degrees Celsius on Wednesday in Hasselt. There could also be some raindrops during the afternoon; the chance of precipitation throughout the day is 95%. Winds will be fair to fairly solid, blowing from the west.
Times
Start men: 4:30 p.m.
Finish men: 5:50 p.m.
Start women: 3:00 p.m.Finish women: 4:10 p.m.
Favorites women's time trial, European Championship 2024
Usually, we would have referred to Marlen Reusser as the top favorite for the European title, but the Swiss are not present this year. Olympic champion Grace Brown is from Australia, so we do not need to mention her. Anna Henderson won the silver medal at the Olympics, but Great Britain will not travel to the championships organized in Belgium due to circumstances. The bronze (Chloé Dygert), the number four (Juliette Labous), and the number five (Demi Vollering) are also not there because of various things ...
So, who are present to put forward as top favorites? The number six, yes! Lotte Kopecky is competing in the time trial on behalf of the Belgian team. In Paris, a medal would have been possible were it not for the fact that she crashed. The versatile Belgian is also in good shape, having recently won the Tour de Romandie. Considering the field of competitors, a gold medal in her own country is undoubtedly apparent.
The main competitors come from her northern neighbors anyway. Riejanne Markus took sporting revenge for her Tour de France Femmes disappointment in the same Tour de Romandie with a handsome stage victory. After her triumph, she declared she would also travel to the European Championships time trial with great ambition. Write it down! Fellow countrywoman and seasoned European champion Ellen van Dijk should also be considered. Both ladies want to compete for a place next to Vollering at the World Time Trial Championships two weeks later.
Then, there is an extensive list of optional outsiders. One of them is Christina Schweinberger, a 27-year-old Austrian. She finished third last year at the European Time Trial Championships; in Paris, she had to settle for place ten. It has to be said that she left the Tour with stomach and intestinal problems, so it remains to be seen to what extent she has recovered.
We are also keeping an eye on ladies like Vittoria Guazzini (Italy), Anna Kiesenhofer (Austria), Elena Hartmann (Switzerland), and Agnieszka Skalniak-Sójka (Poland). On a good day, they should all be able to compete for a place of honor. Will they have that good day?
Favorites women's time trial, European Championship 2024, according to IDLProCycling.com
Top favorite: Riejanne Markus (Netherlands)
Outsiders: Lotte Kopecky (Belgium) and Ellen van Dijk (Netherlands)
Long shots: Christina Schweinberger, Anna Kiesenhofer (both Austria), Vittoria Guazzini (Italy) and Agnieszka Skalniak-Sójka (Poland)
Outsiders: Lotte Kopecky (Belgium) and Ellen van Dijk (Netherlands)
Long shots: Christina Schweinberger, Anna Kiesenhofer (both Austria), Vittoria Guazzini (Italy) and Agnieszka Skalniak-Sójka (Poland)
Favorites men's time trial, European Championship 2024
The men's race faces the same "problem" as the women's. Many top favorites - including Remco Evenepoel, Joshua Tarling, and Filippo Ganna - dropped out of the European Championship time trial in Belgian Limburg. And so there, too, we look forward to "men from the second line."
The two favorites in the men's race are from the same country. After all, with Stefan Küng and Stefan Bissegger, the country has two dedicated racers in its ranks. And it is also a course that is close to their hearts! Küng showed with his win in the final time trial of the Vuelta a España that he is in good shape.
Regarding the Vuelta time trial, Mattia Cattaneo finished a solid third, so we'd better write the Italian down for this! The same goes for Vocsnor Victor Campenaerts, who also must have come out of the Spanish stage race with ambition.
We also expect a lot from Søren Wærenskjold. The strong 24-year-old Norwegian has already won three times this year: the national championship, the time trial in the Baloise Belgium Tour, and those in the Tour Poitou-Charentes and Nouvelle Aquitaine.
Finally, we would also like to write down the names of the two Dutch participants, Thymen Arensman—who already left the Vuelta early—and Daan Hoole. They should be considered capable of competing for a podium place. The same goes for guys like Max Walscheid, Mikkel Bjerg, and Edoardo Affini.
Favorites women's time trial, European Championship 2024, according to IDLProCycling.com
Top favorite: Stefan Küng (Switzerland)
Outsiders: Stefan Bissegger (Switzerland) and Søren Wærenskjold (Norway)
Long shots: Mattia Cattaneo (Italy), Victor Campenaerts (Belgium), Max Walscheid (Germany), Edoardo Affini (Italy) and Mikkel Bjerg (Denmark)
Outsiders: Stefan Bissegger (Switzerland) and Søren Wærenskjold (Norway)
Long shots: Mattia Cattaneo (Italy), Victor Campenaerts (Belgium), Max Walscheid (Germany), Edoardo Affini (Italy) and Mikkel Bjerg (Denmark)
TV European Championships Time Trial 2024
You can follow the European Time Trial Championship all afternoon Wednesday on Sporza and Eurosport. The latter channel is also available on Discovery+ and HBO Max online platforms. IDLProCycling.com provides a live blog throughout the day and will be on the scene for all information.
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Latest Comments
- Van Aert is really handsome. He can influence me all day! Ditto for Philipsen. Why do you think many of us love cycling?: to see heroic attempts at climbing mountains at high altitudes or to watch speedsters sprint for the finish line or to watch a human being ride at break neck speed down a tricky descent? No, it's all about their lean physiques and muscular legs. (apologies for objectifying these dedicated and amazing athletes).BarwonHeadsUp25-10-2024
- It is unfortunate that the author can't feel the joy that Pogacar brings to the sport and his fans who are legion and I for one feel lucky to have watched such a memorable performance and historic season From the Strada until yesterday with multiple wins in stages in both tours and beyond dominance in the World's. He is proud to wear the Rainbow stripes, shows his leadership to protect his fellows and is as courteous and sportsman-like as the sport allows. He goes early to not have to respond to each attack as all the rest would make him do it. Any racer who could would do the same. Don't "grow tired" of greatness as it is always fleeting.ccrider13-10-2024
- What load of rubbish. Pog is likely a once in a generation cyclist, the like of which hasn't been seen since 'the Cannibal '. How many people were complaining that Merckx was making racing predictable? I remember this year's World RR as one of the most exciting I've watched. Mainly BECAUSE Pog was the favourite and launched what everyone thought (Pog included) was a suicidal attack with 80km to go. For the next 2 hours, I was on the edge of my seat thinking "this is too much, even for Pog". Maybe Zonnefeld prefers the snooze-fest that is a bunch sprint? Like most people I know, I can't watch two hours of the bunch riding very fast... I wait for the final 5km and watch just the sprint. In any event, most races are won from a sprint or lone break. What difference does it make who makes the lone break? Ultimately, the other contenders will have to figure out a way to beat Pog. Even if that means collaboration between teams. It's going to be an exciting few seasons, until the next Pog arrives on the scene. If this is boring, heaven knows what exciting looks like!Michael513-10-2024
- This is not a gravel race. UCI fail, from the surface they are on to team tactics. In what country was the first "gravel race" in what country is the most popular gravel race? Go with the race model that created the discipline.
Barnes127411-10-2024 - And don't forget he has now won 4 of the big 10 races (Grand tours, Monuments and WC/OG) in one year with a chance to make that 5. (5 has only been done once before)Joostmehrtens05-10-2024