World Cycling, the presentation of the time trial

Kigali, 1500 meters above sea level, is the capital of Rwanda. We are in central Africa, black Africa: this era area of ​​colonies were the Belgians. Sunday after a century of struggles and battles, colonialism and genocide in 1994 of almost 900 thousand people from Etnia Tutsi by the Hutu, Rwanda opens a new chapter in its history: for a week the great cycling is here for the first edition of the World Cup in Africa. A decision strongly desired by the president of the UCI (the world federation), David Lappartient, in the perspective of widening the boundaries of this sport even more. Not a few problems have presented themselves in recent months, starting with costs (the Ruanda is considered Switzerland of Africa, also for prices) and vaccinations, but in the end the World Cup are here and will run on altitude and particularly demanding routes. On Sunday in the professional time trial there is immediately the supersfida of the world championships: Remco Evenepol against Tadej Pogacar. Only Filippo Ganna could fit into this duel, but the track is certainly not for the blue, which in fact remained at home. From Kigali to Kigali there are 40.6 kilometers with 680 meters in altitude and four climbs: nyanza (2.5 km at 5.8%) at km 10, nyanza (6.6 km at 3.5%: it is the other side of the same ascent) at km 24, Peage (2 km at 6%) and another tear, Kimihurura (1300 meters at 6.3) all in Pavé at 1 km from 1 km from 1 km from 1 km from finish line. If Pogacar is the undisputed phenomenon of current cycling, no time tries the rhythm of Evenepol: Olympic champion in Paris 2024, world champion in Glasgow 2023 and Zurich 2024 (in all three occasions always in front of Pippo Ganna!). Against time, since they are professionals, Evenepel Guide 8-2 towards direct. At the last tour, on the 33 km of Caen the Flemish inflicted 16 “to the Slovenian, that is, half a second per kilometer.

what occasion

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Evenepoel, 25, who runs in the Soudal-Quick Step, comes from a complicated season from the accident last December in training: he had ended up against the door of a Van delle Poste Belghe, left open. He focused everything on the tour, was competitive for the first week and then retired to the Pyrenees. The World Cup are his redemption, and then there will be the Europeans in France and the Lombardy Giro. Remco is the most aerodynamic runner in the saddle and has a bike, the specialized, which at a time of time does not fear comparisons. Out of 65 career victories, 21 centered against time. Think of these World Cups from winter, when you got vaccinated just for not having interference on competitive activity and, as Kigali said, “this year I have never been in shape as now. I know that in the race I will have to show my best part and I am ready to do it”. From the first edition of the Ironian Crono di Catania 1994 (success of Boardman), only the Australian Michael Rogers (from 2003 to 2005) and the German Tony Martin (2011, 2012 and 2013) have conquered three world championships in a row: four, not consecutive, there is only the Swiss Fabian Cancellara. “The track is hard with its 680 meters in altitude -it takes up Evenepoel -. It is a very fast path and pedaling at high altitudes. The air is more rarefied, so the speed will be greater. We have not gone up with important slopes and therefore you can keep the position, and this gives me an advantage. Even downhill there are no particular critical points. Pogacar? Best version to win ”. Pogacar, for his part, focuses above all on the in -line test on Sunday 28 September, with over 5000 meters of altitude difference. You can not see who can stop it: this season he won the fourth Tour de France, the third Liegi-Bastogne-Riegi, the second round of Flanders, the third white roads; More third to the Milan-Sanremo and second, to the debut, in the Paris-Roubaix. Last week he showed the show, on his return after the tour, in Canada, both in Quebec and in Montreal. Tomorrow celebrates 27 years and will try to make the day of Enenepoel very hard. The Slovenian of the UAE Emirates has won 8 time trial on the 104 career successes, but always in the big stages (1 at the Giro and 4 on the tour, plus 3 Slovenian titles). At the World Cup was 10th in 2021, 6th in 2022 and 21st in 2023. But in Canada it was so strong as to afford to leave the victory in the Montreal GP to teammate McNulty. As if to say: he is always the one who decides whoever wins.

blues

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Italy shows off with the Bergamo Mattia Cattaneo, 34 years old, a loyal teammate of Evenepoel (and will follow him in 2026 at the Red Bull), third at the European Crono 2024, and the Cuneo Matteo Sobrero, 28 years old, which runs in the Red Bull Bora. A placement in the top ten is within our reach.