For Belgium’s Alec Segaert, it was a case of déjà vu on the U23 males’s time trial on the UCI Highway World Championships. The placement might have been completely different – from the solar of Wollongong in Australia, to the overcast skies of Stirling in Scotland – however the consequence was the identical.
For the second 12 months in a row, the 20-year-old Lotto-Dstny rider got here away from the time trial with a silver medal in his hand, this time having began the day because the favorite to win the rainbow jersey.
Segaert had began the 36.2km out-and-back run in Stirling nicely, posting the quickest instances on the first two checkpoints, however his Italian rival Lorenzo Milesi rode a unfavourable cut up to go faster on the hillier, latter a part of the course.
In the long run, on the prime of the cobbled street to Stirling Fort, Segaert had missed out on the win by 11 seconds, ending on the second step of the rostrum as soon as once more.
“It is a bit of combined emotions, after all,” Segaert mentioned within the post-race press convention. “Final 12 months I additionally had silver and it was extra of a victory than in the present day. Earlier than the race began, I mentioned that if I gave it my all and there was one man stronger, then I’ve to be proud of my efficiency. That is what I really feel proper now.
“Instantly after the race I felt that there was nothing rather more I may give – there have been no locations the place I misplaced it actually. I began formidable and fell again a bit bit in the long run on the final climb, I used to be a bit bit too empty.”
Segaert was disillusioned however felt that he could not have realistically raced any higher on the day, then. He could not level out any factors alongside the course the place issues had gone awry, as an alternative simply crediting Milesi with an ideal journey.
“You see I’ve 39 seconds between me and the third man. So, I truly rode a very good TT and if I gained this race with the identical time I’d say every little thing went completely. There was only one man stronger, so he deserves it.”
Whereas Milesi turned professional with Workforce dsm-firmenich firstly of the season and has already taken on a number of WorldTour races, Segaert took the step up with Lotto in February, although to date has raced a largely-U23 calendar, together with the Giro Subsequent Gen and Paris-Roubaix Espoirs.
Segaert raced alongside Milesi rather a lot previous to 2023, although, together with throughout the last stage of final 12 months’s Tour de l’Avenir over the Col d’Iseran – Milesi gained the stage with Segaert in second. He did admit to being shocked that Milesi, who wasn’t a favorite for the win, got here out on prime once more right here.
“Really a bit bit,” he mentioned when requested if he was shocked. “He’s a really sturdy rider, and I’ve recognized him for a while already. In each race I compete the place he’s, I all the time rely on him to be among the finest males within the race on any profile.
“Final 12 months in [Belgian U23 stage race] Le Tryptique des Monts et Châteaux there was a TT of 14 kilometres the place he beat me by two seconds however then within the European and World Championships, he was 45 seconds or a minute behind me. I used to be shocked by that truly – the earlier championships.
“I believed in the present day that after all he is all the time an excellent time triallist however I did not actually count on him to beat me. However I can solely say that he rode a powerful TT and that he deserves it.”
Segaert could not say whether or not Milesi’s WorldTour expertise contributed to the win, with the Italian having taken in races such because the Critérium du Dauphiné and Tour de Pologne to date in 2023.
He was assured beginning out the day however will now finish his day within the consoling arms of his fan membership, 50 of whom made the journey to Scotland to help him this week.
“I rode one lengthy TT – the Belgian Championships was 42 kilometres. That was good preparation for this one, for certain,” he mentioned. “I used to be assured that this distance would swimsuit me. It is also a really sincere course, this TT, so I simply suppose he has the energy and energy to offer it his all and he is simply tremendous sturdy, so I’ve to congratulate him.
“I’ve to say I’ve among the finest fan golf equipment on the planet, I feel. There are round 50 folks right here for me. I do not suppose there are guys right here who’ve extra supporters, even the blokes from England or Scotland.
“I hope they’ve an excellent occasion tonight although I’ll not have one which they hoped for and what I hoped for myself. I’ll for certain go and meet them after this press convention.”
