For the second year in a row, Alec Segaert finished second at the U23 time trial World Championships. This time the Belgian was the big favorite, but eventually lost to the Italian Lorenzo Milesi.
"I came to win and gave everything, but eleven seconds is a clear margin," said Segaert in conversation with Sporza. "The course certainly does not lie, the strongest won today."
Segaert got off to a good start though. “I had started ambitiously and that was the intention. That immediately gave me confidence and I quickly had Italian in front of me, that also gave a boost. But at the end I had less left than I had hoped."
"I tried to follow the plan as closely as possible, but it was a struggle to the end. It was still possible at the end, but I fell off a little more than hoped," says Segaert. "Every split was very close, so you know you have to get the most out of it. Only I felt that I was coming to a standstill."
Milesi's victory comes as no surprise to Segaert. "He is a strong rider, I have met him before and he has beaten me before. That is why I always take him into account and I also wish him well," he says. "In the back of my mind I kept in mind that he was a contender, but after last year's European and World Championships I had put myself slightly above it. But I got everything out, on to next year," he concludes.
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- Blah blah blah!frieders311-11-2026
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santiagobenites10-11-2026 - great analysis thanks! appreciate you posting this. I didn't realize CX had a different standard for deviation. this is even more egregious it seems.mij10-11-2026
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