Edoardo Affini clinched the men’s elite European time trial title today in Hasselt, Belgium, edging out Stefan Küng of Switzerland in a close 31.3km battle. The Italian, who hadn’t tasted victory for over five years, finished the course in 33:23, with Küng just under 10 seconds slower. Mattia Cattaneo, Affini’s fellow countryman, secured third place, completing the podium for Italy.
Affini, who has spent much of his career in support roles, described his win as “wonderful,” reflecting on the long wait for a victory since turning professional. “I simply don’t know how to put this wonderful victory into words,” he said, beaming with joy after stepping off the podium. “It feels amazing. I have been waiting for a win for a long time. Often I was close.”
The race itself unfolded with Küng setting the early pace, 14 seconds quicker than Affini at the 10km mark. By the second time check after 20km, Affini had dramatically closed the gap, trailing by just 0.62 seconds. Over the final 11km, Affini powered through, and Küng’s efforts to claw back time were ultimately in vain, with the Swiss rider settling for silver.
Reflecting on his form heading into the championships, Affini revealed that his recent efforts in the Vuelta a España had left him without high expectations. “Honestly, I started today without pressure and expectations. The past few weeks have been very tough in the Vuelta a España. I reached Madrid on sheer willpower,” Affini admitted. “I wanted to support my teammates as much as possible. That was my motivation in what was personally the toughest grand tour I’ve ever done.”
Küng, who won the European time trial title in 2021, admitted that he went out hard in the early kilometres, but couldn’t hold off Affini’s resurgence. “I gave everything, but Affini was just stronger today,” said the Swiss rider.
The Italian’s emotion was clear as he described the joy of winning in front of family members from both Italy and the Netherlands. “It’s indescribable to achieve such a beautiful victory in front of their eyes. I’m going to enjoy this,” said the visibly moved Affini, tears in his eyes after the race. He also mentioned a special moment after the finish when he received a congratulatory call from fellow Italian rider Filippo Ganna.
While Affini celebrated his first major individual victory in years, he was quick to credit his coach, Mathieu Heijboer, for keeping him motivated. “Mathieu gave me confidence and made me believe in my own abilities. That applies not only to today but also to the past years. I gave everything I had today and felt very good along the way,” he explained.
The European Championships continue tomorrow with Affini competing in the team time trial mixed relay, where he hopes to build on today’s success.
2024 Men’s European Championships Time Trial result
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Main photo credit: Getty
