"I came here for a podium, but the heat and altitude... just couldn't give everything" – Bruno Armirail disappointed with career best Worlds TT result in Kigali

Bruno Armirail arrived in Kigali with genuine ambitions of finally breaking into the top five at a World Championship time trial. The French champion had impressed throughout the season, with a 4th place in the Tour de France TT and strong rides at the Vuelta, and he made no secret of targeting a podium last Sunday.

Instead, the Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team rouleur had to settle for 8th – a career-best result at the Worlds, but one that left him frustrated given his expectations. “I came here aiming for a top five, maybe even a podium,” he told DirectVelo honestly afterwards. “I’m a bit disappointed with my performance. It was decent, but I wasn’t having a great day. The heat and the altitude made the effort even more demanding. You couldn’t just give everything you wanted, and the last two climbs were really tough.”

Armirail finished 30 seconds shy of bronze medallist Ilan van Wilder and just 26 seconds behind 5th placed Isaac Del Toro, who narrowly missed the podium himself. That proximity to the medals has given the Frenchman confidence that a breakthrough is within reach. “That shows it’s possible. I know I can be up there. You just have to believe,” he said.

The demanding Rwandan circuit exposed the limits of several riders, particularly on the cobbled climb late in the course. Armirail admitted he likely lost time there, but he was not the only French rider to leave Kigali disappointed. Young compatriot Paul Seixas, just 18 and making his elite Worlds debut, endured what he described as a “failure” after placing 16th, more than four minutes down on winner Remco Evenepoel. His blunt self-criticism underlined the high standards and ambitions within the French camp.

Armirail will not line up in the road race next weekend, but attention quickly turns to the mixed relay team time trial, where he is expected to be a cornerstone of the French effort. “We’re hoping to come away with at least a medal – and why not a title? That would be special. We’ve got a really strong team, even if we’re not the only ones. Australia, for example, with Vine, Plapp, Matthews, they’ll be very tough. It’ll be a great battle.”

For now, though, Armirail must live with a bittersweet performance: his best ever World Championship result, but not the podium he felt was within reach.