European Championship 2025: Men’s ITT, October 1

[Brullnux]

Look to Quintana, MAL, Purito.
Normally flat TTs benefits big guys more than small guys. Wiggins wasn't small... he was 70-71 kg when he won the Tour.

Sure, but Evenepoel is closer to Pogacar and even Froome than Purito. He's also, famously, short and stocky, so he's not your 'average' 63kg rider. He has much more muscle, especially in his lower body, than almost all cyclists.

 

[KZD]

First rider to be National, European, World and Olympic champion ITT simultaneously.

Its an impressive achievement but to be fair Worlds and Olympics TTs are only a thing since the 90s and Europeans since the 2010s.

Massive result from Larsen, expected a bit more from Hayter and also Ganna who lost a lot of time despite silver.

 

[Brullnux]

Ganna mentally destroyed

His past 18 months have been: 2nd in the Olympics TT; 3rd in the Olympic team pursuit; 2nd in the WC ITT; 2nd in Tirreno-Adriatico GC; 2nd in Milano-Sanremo; 3rd in E3; forced to race Flanders and so ended up bombing Paris-Roubaix; concussion in TdF; 2nd in EC ITT. I would be too.

 

[Penninepeddler]

It's relative, though and a lot of factors go into it. Total power, the increased resistance caused by weight, aerodynamic efficiency, etc.

Just look at Wiggins and Froome at sub-70kg, for instance, beating much larger riders.

Jaques Anquetil wasnt exactly a big bruiser... relative to era the best TTer of all time really. 9x winner of Grand Prix des Nations, which was in effect at the time the TT Worlds.

Hinault was also fantastic in flat TTs.

Ofc you also have Cancellara, Martin and a host of others who are big boys... but a lot of the greatest TTers in history, even flatter, 1-day TTers, were ~170-175cm and 70kg or less.

 

[Boehmand]

Remember when you were all laughing over us going on about Larsen during the Tour of Denmark?

 

[houtdffan]

Earth to Gouvenou!

Earth to Gouvenou!

Add 2 long ITTs to the Tour. It won't be the same GC contenders winning the TTs and the climbs

Thank you for your attention!

 

[Peyroteo94]

His past 18 months have been: 2nd in the Olympics TT; 3rd in the Olympic team pursuit; 2nd in the WC ITT; 2nd in Tirreno-Adriatico GC; 2nd in Milano-Sanremo; 3rd in E3; forced to race Flanders and so ended up bombing Paris-Roubaix; concussion in TdF; 2nd in EC ITT. I would be too.

This happens when you put your expectations much higher than your real level.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Danish guy, won PNDKR back BC.
Not that great at dancing...

And also the only rider on the podium with some hair, Ganna and Remco are rocking the Monchhichi 'do.

 

[Red Rick]

Earth to Gouvenou!

Earth to Gouvenou!

Add 2 long ITTs to the Tour. It won't be the same GC contenders winning the TTs and the climbs

Thank you for your attention!

Why long TTs?

Evenepoel is clearly better on shorter TTs, he was struggling to take time on Vine once the WC ITT went past 30 minutes.

 

[Netserk]

Look to Quintana, MAL, Purito.
Normally flat TTs benefits big guys more than small guys. Wiggins wasn't small... he was 70-71 kg when he won the Tour.

Rogla, Contador and Vingegaard were/are much better than Schleck was, and not because of weight.

 

[Boehmand]

Can somebody explain me how the whole forum was talking about Nikolas Larson 3 months ago like he was van Der poel or something,, and I never knew him, and now he's started getting insane results. I feel like the punchline of an inside joke

He used to be one of the greatest talents in Danish cycling, we're talking Mads Pedersen level talent.

If you look at his Procycling page upto and including 2019, his results are stellar - and those are with him sharing focus between the road and track, where he was the anchor on the Danish olympic pursuit team, as well as competing in points races individually.

He then broke his leg in november 2019, falling off a table he was dancing on during a party, and since then he never quite reached the same level, and has been on a steady decline until being back at continental level for this season.

But then he, at the tender age of 28, has finally found his way back to his former level.

He's a really likable dude, whom all Danes like to see get another shot at the highest level (Pro Tour for next year, he's on a 1 year contract).

 

[Netserk]

Can somebody explain me how the whole forum was talking about Nikolas Larson 3 months ago like he was van Der poel or something,, and I never knew him, and now he's started getting insane results. I feel like the punchline of an inside joke

Some people hype clowns, others hype gems. We are not the same.

If Ganna can just about make it over the Cipressa then so can Evenepoel, do some more classics next season plz.

Can Evenepoel enter Cipressa in the first 5 positions?

 

[Red Rick]

Sure, but Evenepoel is closer to Pogacar and even Froome than Purito. He's also, famously, short and stocky, so he's not your 'average' 63kg rider. He has much more muscle, especially in his lower body, than almost all cyclists.

Body shape is the key difference that's not really talked about much, and the advent of wind tunnel testing and CFD simulations have really changed a lot about what's possible in ITTs. It goes way beyond 'bigger guy should go faster on flat' because CdA "should" scale to the 2/3rds power of mass.

 

[Berniece]

Can Evenepoel enter Cipressa in the first 5 positions?

Danny Van Poppel can get him in the right position

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Just the greatest time trialist of all time. Insane.

It is quite likely that the only European champs jersey we'll see next year will be from the women's road races.

Course recce rides for next year's Euro's, unless we get repeat winners in the Worlds.

 

[Red Rick]

Can Evenepoel enter Cipressa in the first 5 positions?

1. There's a significant amount of RNG in positioning
2. Pogacar was way back this year too, it takes a while before the attacks fly
3. He shouldn't even need to. Apart from motodrafting I think it's reasonably likely he can climb the shallow upper section of the Cipressa faster than Pogacar.

 

[postmanhat]

His past 18 months have been: 2nd in the Olympics TT; 3rd in the Olympic team pursuit; 2nd in the WC ITT; 2nd in Tirreno-Adriatico GC; 2nd in Milano-Sanremo; 3rd in E3; forced to race Flanders and so ended up bombing Paris-Roubaix; concussion in TdF; 2nd in EC ITT. I would be too.

That's a lot of podiums and no wins. Was noticeable that he'd taken off his medal before leaving the stage. No interest in it. With his skillset, maybe he could see the rest of his career being defined by the participation, or absence, of one of the goats?

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Congrats to Evenepoel. He complained about the wind: if the Bullet Man says it then it must have been even more difficult for the rest.

 

[Netserk]

1. There's a significant amount of RNG in positioning
2. Pogacar was way back this year too, it takes a while before the attacks fly
3. He shouldn't even need to. Apart from motodrafting I think it's reasonably likely he can climb the shallow upper section of the Cipressa faster than Pogacar.

I don't think he's in as good shape in March as Pogi is.

 

[Hugh Januss]

Why long TTs?

Evenepoel is clearly better on shorter TTs, he was struggling to take time on Vine once the WC ITT went past 30 minutes.

He was clearly struggling as he blew Pogis doors off.

 

[houtdffan]

Why long TTs?

Evenepoel is clearly better on shorter TTs, he was struggling to take time on Vine once the WC ITT went past 30 minutes.

But he continued to take time on Pog

Gouvenou said the same GC riders do the same in the ITT and the climbs, which is why he hates TTs.

Clearly, that's not the case any longer. He's stuck in the Froome vs Contador days

 

[Brullnux]

This happens when you put your expectations much higher than your real level.

I don't understand your dislike of Ganna. His real level is the guy just behind the aliens in specific races (Milano-Sanremo, TTs), and can compete for podiums, sometimes wins, in a selection of other races. There is clearly no fulfilment for someone of that standard to be hoovering up 1.Pro races – like Pedersen, he should be trying to somehow win these races by whatever means necessary.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Some people hype clowns, others hype gems. We are not the same.

Can Evenepoel enter Cipressa in the first 5 positions?

The Bora guys looked quite good on Tre Capi and into Cipressa this year iirc, Van Gils was there and just got dropped, worst comes to the worse Dangerous Danny van Poppel can get a trademark tactical yellow card moving him to the front.

 

[Netserk]

The Bora guys looked quite good on Tre Capi and into Cipressa this year iirc, Van Gils was there and just got dropped, worst comes to the worse Dangerous Danny van Poppel can get a trademark tactical yellow card moving him to the front.

He better hope he doesn't hit Milan on the way there.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Why long TTs?

Evenepoel is clearly better on shorter TTs, he was struggling to take time on Vine once the WC ITT went past 30 minutes.

That's not how it works. You set a pacing plan according to what is most beneficial for you to achieve the best possible overall time. That is different for every rider. Like i said last week, Evenepoel is likely to hold back on the flat parts when he knows there are climbs coming, because he can recover on the flat while still being faster than his opponents. His opponents don't have that luxury and therefor can be slower on the climbs, even Pogacar. So Vine being faster in the last sector means absolutely zilch for Evenepoel being better or worse in longer or shorter TT's.

And i think the comparison here is towards Pogacar, who was faster than Vine at T1 and lost a minute and a half at the finish. So if you want to say Evenepoel is worse in longer TT's then what do you have to say about Pogacar who even got bumped off the podium by Van Wilder in the second part of the course? Because when people are talking about longer TT 's in the TDF, they are primarily talking about Evenepoel vs Pogacar and Vingegaard, first and foremost.