World Championship 2025: Men’s ITT, September 21

[HashRouge]

race last year was not lame, imo.

it was a history-making raid that was truly amazing.

Yeah, I have to admit I liked it as well. When Pog first went I groaned because I thought it would be another "boring" solo, but it still felt like a lot happened over the final 100km and it was actually kind of exciting when it looked like Pog might have bitten off a bit more than he could chew. That said, this year I'd like something a bit different. I think it will be all out chaos to be honest, lots of good riders will be trying to get in an early break.

 

[topcat]

How did the conversation become about gts? Remco crushed the Pog today, when before hand we were told the Pog was the favourite. Remco is the better timetrialer. He looks good on a bike and Pog looks horrible. Pog is the better gt rider. And all of this is obvious.

 

[Red Rick]

wasn't lame at all.

Pog admitted he went to early. He said he made a mistake. A flat out choke

Then Remco choked by not riding his bike. When he finally did, he made up 40 seconds on Pog on the climb to start the final lap, but by then it was too late. He couldn't quite close the gap, and allowed Pog to hang on for victory

Evenepoel choked it by focusing on the TT so hard he couldn't drop climbers in a one day race anymore.

"he could have won" when he at no point dropped anyone from his group is just not a thing.

 

[houtdffan]

Evenepoel choked it by focusing on the TT so hard he couldn't drop climbers in a one day race anymore.

"he could have won" when he at no point dropped anyone from his group is just not a thing.

He actually did on the final lap. He was 25 seconds behind the vdp group at the start of the final lap. Dropped his group and dropped the vdp group. Cars were pulled between him and pog but the 1:15 gap was too much. Got to about 25 seconds

 

[RedheadDane]

That'll get ya slapped in California.

I'm not going to California.

 

[Escarabajo]

Today we saw the best TT in the world. Chapeau Remco.

Now, now, he looks really chunky. He can push that much power. I am not sure about his capabilities for podiuming the Tour, let alone winning another one again. But it is fun to watch in the TT!

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Amazing pacing from pornstache v$ne!!

 

[Red Rick]

Where on the cobbled climb did Evenepoel catch Pogacar? Pogacar lost 31s to Vine starting on the cobbled climb but and Evenepoel only gained 7s on Pog from the catch onwards

 

[Netserk]

He has lost to Remco in the first TT of the Tour 2 years in a row. No he wouldn't beat him. Remco is the best TTer in the world.

2025: 54 km/h, 1% difference
2024: 52.6 km/h, 0.7% difference

This was 48.9 km/h.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Where on the cobbled climb did Evenepoel catch Pogacar? Pogacar lost 31s to Vine starting on the cobbled climb but and Evenepoel only gained 7s on Pog from the catch onwards

On the steep part

 

[Red Rick]

On the steep part

That's what I thought.

Everyone was around 3kph slower on the 4th sector than on the 1st sector, with the exception of Vine, who was 0.3 kph slower on the 4th sector than on the 1st sector.

And even within sector 4 he probably paced it negatively

 

[Red Rick]

Arensman said he was happy with 9th place, saying he was completely winging it with no specific preperation, and acclimatization was very important here.

 

[Danskebjerge]

wasn't lame at all.

Pog admitted he went to early. He said he made a mistake. A flat out choke

Then Remco choked by not riding his bike. When he finally did, he made up 40 seconds on Pog on the climb to start the final lap, but by then it was too late. He couldn't quite close the gap, and allowed Pog to hang on for victory

That's a retrospective analysis. What we saw was Pogacar leading for the last two hours of the race. Nobody got close. It was just as lame as the women's World Championship in Harrogate that marked a lowpoint in women's cycling.

 

[Netserk]

Arensman said he was happy with 9th place, saying he was completely winging it with no specific preperation, and acclimatization was very important here.

Imagine how well Armirail could have done here without Tour-Vuelta in his legs, where he was clearly tired at the end of the Vuelta.

 

[red_flanders]

I'm not going to California.

That's a shame, great place to be.

 

[Brullnux]

2025: 54 km/h, 1% difference
2024: 52.6 km/h, 0.7% difference

This was 48.9 km/h.

Has still never beaten Remco outside of mountain(ous) time trials.

 

[houtdffan]

That's a retrospective analysis. What we saw was Pogacar leading for the last two hours of the race. Nobody got close. It was just as lame as the women's World Championship in Harrogate that marked a lowpoint in women's cycling.

Last years wcrr likely would have been this years amstel if remco just rode

 

[Andre]

That's a shame, great place to be.

hhmmm...that's debatable

 

[red_flanders]

hhmmm...that's debatable

It's an opinion. You can disagree, but there's nothing to debate.

 

[Andre]

It's an opinion. You can disagree, but there's nothing to debate.

ok noted, I disagree

 

[Gratemans]

So now we're debating american states apparently. Whatever.

Of course Remco would aways win this. And of course he won't win the RR.
I'm not so sure Pog will though. I feel tactics might play a role here. Or maybe I just hope they will.

Anyway, it's an interesting course.

It's all going to shite anyway.

 

[proffate]

That'll get ya slapped in California.

You must not live near the coast

 

[proffate]

I don't think it's all that much about recovery as it's about a different prep. Last we had a stage 1 ITT, both Pogi and Vingegaard did really well. But they and all competitors prepare for a GT then, whereas the WCTT takes a very specific prep, better suited for specialists.

Had this been stage 1 of the Tour, Pogi would easily be 2nd. And maybe even 1st.

2.5 minutes is some really good "prep". I could see being good at an hour but falling apart in a longer race, but Pogi has to have been "prepping" for a longer race and I don't know how that wouldn't transfer over.

He's never had a bad TT in a grand tour though. He's finished within a respectable distance of both Remco and Ganna in flat TTs at the Tour and the Giro, and beaten both when the road goes uphill. I'd enjoy watching it though, because like you say it could add a bit more jeopardy. Not sure I'd want two flat TTs though, they're not good for TV viewers.

I think they're good for putting on in the background while I do other stuff. Every time I look up I see a weirdo whizz by with a novel piece of headware... Cannot miss out on a crucial race winning move if I don't look up, bc there is no race winning moment. It's kind of easier to keep up with given lack of time to spend 1-2hrs watching a new stage every night. The non mtf days are rest days for fans too

 

[Cycling111]

Pogacar never wins a ITT like this against Evenepoel, when both are perfectly prepared. Evenepoel is just better at this.

Just like Remco has never beaten Pogacar in a stage race, but some insist he can beat him in the Tour .

What's the difference between this and the discussion in Remco´s thread? Saying he can improve and beat Pogacar in the Tour, even though he's never been close to him in a stage race.

 

[Cookster15]

Of course Remco would aways win this. And of course he won't win the RR.
I'm not so sure Pog will though. I feel tactics might play a role here. Or maybe I just hope they will.

Today can't have helped Pogacar's confidence.