"I was the only big guy - Remco is maybe 60-70 kilos" – Filippo Ganna cites wind as key factor in European Championship time trial defeat to Evenepoel

Filippo Ganna was quick to acknowledge the brilliance of Remco Evenepoel after finishing runner-up in the men’s elite time trial at the 2025 European Championships, but the Italian was left reflecting on the role of the wind in shaping the race.

Evenepoel added yet another accolade to his glittering record, storming to the European crown to sit alongside his World, Belgian and Olympic titles, stopping the clock in 28:26 over the 24.4km course. Ganna, a former time trial World Champion himself, trailed by 43 seconds in second place, with Denmark’s Niklas Larsen, a somewhat surprising name, completing the podium at +1:08.

Speaking afterwards to Cycling Pro Net, Ganna admitted he struggled to deal with the conditions compared to his lighter rival. “For sure, the wind didn’t help me,” he explained. “If you look at the big guys, I was the only one up at the front. The others weren’t really in the best position. I think Remco was maybe 60–70 kilos, so today the CDA [aerodynamic drag] was more important than usual.”

The Belgian once again proved himself untouchable against the clock. Starting his effort at a furious pace, Evenepoel went 14 seconds faster than Ganna through the first checkpoint, and within 15 minutes had already caught and passed Stefan Küng, underlining his dominance even without working race radio.

By the second intermediate split, his advantage was unassailable. While Ganna briefly lifted Italian hopes with the fastest time at the finish to depose Larsen from the hot seat, Evenepoel was still in a class of his own. His margin of 43 seconds over Ganna only confirmed his status as the rider to beat in every major time trial.

The Italian was pragmatic in defeat, offering congratulations to Evenepoel while pointing to his own recovery from recent racing. “For sure I recovered well after the Vuelta, but he did also. After six and a half hours and 6,000 metres of climbing, he managed a good recovery. So congrats to him. We’ll see tomorrow in the mixed relay.”

For Ganna, the silver medal continues a consistent record at major championships, but he was left with the sense that in blustery conditions there was little he could do to counteract the Belgian’s aerodynamic efficiency. “It’s the World Champion who wins the jersey, and now also the European title. Nothing more to say,” he admitted with a shrug.