Remco Evenepoel wins men's elite race at UCI Road World Championships 2022 - results
The Belgian makes history with a first elite world title win in Wollongong, Australia, weeks after winning his first Grand Tours overall title at the Vuelta a Espana.
Cycling Road
A stunning solo attack saw Remco Evenepoel claim the 2022 UCI Road World Championships men's elite road race on Sunday (25 September).
That win completed an incredible few weeks of road cycling for the Belgian, who sealed his first world title at the elite level weeks after winning his first Grand Tours overall General Classification (GC) title at the Vuelta a Espana.
Evenepoel is now one of just four men (including Alfredo Binda, Eddy Merckx and Bernard Hinault) to have won a Monument, a Grand Tour and a World Championship in the same year.
With 25km to go, the Olympian from Tokyo 2020 in 2021, who is a two-time world junior champion, broke clear from the pack to win the race in Wollongong, Australia by 2 minutes and 21 seconds.
Christophe Laporte of France finished second, edging Australia's Michael Matthews into third.
Another Belgian in Wout van Aert took fourth.
“It’s something I’ve been dreaming of. After a monument, a big classic a grand tour, and a world championship, I think I won everything I could have this year. I think I will never have another season like this,” he said. “It will be a big party tonight, I’m not going to see my bed I guess,” Evenepoel said after.
“I think how we raced today really like a team. Like I said before, we wanted to become a world champion as a team, it didn’t matter how.
“It was Wout’s chance or my chance, it was my chance to go from early and Wout was to follow along and sprint. I guess the early attack mde it today. But I just think we deserve it. We really deserve it.”
Netherlands rider Mathieu van der Poel abandoned his race after less than an hour in the saddle, having been arrested and charged with two counts of common assault just hours before. He left a police station at around 4am on the morning of the race following allegations he was involved in an altercation at his hotel. The Dutch star is due to appear in court on Tuesday.
Results - UCI Road World Championships 2022 - Men's Elite Road Race
1. Remco Evenepoel (BEL), in 6:16:08
2. Christophe Laporte (FRA) at 2:21
3. Michael Matthews (AUS), at same time
4. Wout van Aert (BEL), st
5. Matteo Trentin (ITA), st
6. Alexander Kristoff (NOR), st
7. Peter Sagan (SVK), st
8. Alberto Bettoil (ITA), st
9. Ethan Hayter (GBR), st
10. Mattias Skjelmose Jensen (DEV), st