Evenepoel wins the Chrono des Nations by 2 minutes 11 seconds on a new time-trial bike
The world time-trial champion averaged more than 54 km/h over 45.43 km at Les Herbiers on 18 October, caught Jay Vine on the road and then said he would welcome a Tour de France time trial on the same roads.
Remco Evenepoel won the Chrono des Nations at Les Herbiers in western France on 18 October, finishing the 45.43 km time trial 2 minutes 11 seconds ahead of Jay Vine.
The Belgian world time-trial champion, who rides for Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe, covered the course in 49 minutes 53 seconds, an average of 54.6 km/h. Vine (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) was second and Stefan Küng (Tudor Pro Cycling), a three-time winner of the race, finished third, almost two and a half minutes down.
It was Evenepoel’s first win in the elite race, which he also won as a junior in 2018, and his 14th victory of 2026, according to Vélo 101 and IDL Pro Cycling.
Catching Vine on the road
Evenepoel started last, two minutes after Vine. He was 26 seconds faster than Küng at the first time check after 10.5 km, and 1 minute 47 seconds faster at the second, at 34.2 km, Escape Collective and Domestique reported.
In the last part of the course he caught and passed Vine. Behind him, the Australian rode the final 10 km 24 seconds faster than Küng to move up to second. Escape Collective calculated that Evenepoel’s margin was the largest at the race since David Millar beat Edvald Boasson Hagen by 2:19 in 2010.
Vine’s second place was his third in a row at the event, his team said.
Evenepoel had ridden the race twice before as a professional. He was fifth in 2021, 1:22 behind Küng, and lost by 13 seconds to Josh Tarling in 2023, according to Escape Collective.
A test for 2027
The race doubled as an equipment test. Evenepoel rode a new black Specialized time-trial bike for the first time in competition, Domestique reported.
“This was the last chance to grab a win this year, on a beautiful course, so I came with a lot of motivation. I am happy that I can finally win here,” he said at the finish, according to Escape Collective. “I was clearly going very fast. I noticed that in the power I could generate and the speed I had. I wasn’t focused on overtaking anyone; I just wanted to ride as fast as possible.”
His comments were made in a flash interview and have been reported in slightly different translations by different outlets.
An invitation to the Tour
The 2027 Tour de France route will be presented in Paris on 22 October. Asked whether he would like to see a Tour time trial on the roads around Les Herbiers, Evenepoel was enthusiastic, according to IDL Pro Cycling.
“The roads are really ideal for a time trial: wide and not technical at all,” he said. “So yes, I think it would be wonderful to have a time trial here in the Tour de France. We can go ahead and pass the invitation on to the ASO.”
The Tour’s organisers have not confirmed the 2027 route, and we will report it when it is published.
The Chrono des Nations was Evenepoel’s last race of the season. In the weeks before it he had won the world time-trial title in Montréal and the European road race title in Slovenia on 4 October.
