Has Evenepoel Crowned Himself the Time Trial GOAT?

The world of cycling is witnessing an era of unprecedented dominance against the clock, and one name stands head and shoulders above the rest: Remco Evenepoel. The Belgian sensation has not just been winning, he's been rewriting the rulebook for what a time trial specialist can achieve, culminating in an extraordinary run of major championship titles.

 

The Unprecedented TT Triple

 

Most recently, Evenepoel secured his remarkable Individual Time Trial World Championship TT Triple, taking the rainbow jersey for a third consecutive year. His latest victory in Kigali saw him obliterate a world-class field, delivering a performance so dominant that he notably passed rival Tadej Pogačar on the course—a moment that perfectly encapsulated his superiority. To join the ranks of riders like Michael Rogers and Tony Martin with three straight World TT titles is historic enough, but for a rider still so young, it speaks to a near-perfect mastery of the discipline.

 

The Full Set of Gold

 

What makes Evenepoel’s achievement even more staggering is the full set of gold medals he currently holds. He is the current holder of the Olympic, World, and European titles in the individual time trial.

• World Champion (3x): 2023, 2024, 2025 (Three consecutive titles)
• Olympic Champion: 2024 (Also won the Olympic Road Race in the same year)
• European Champion (2x): 2019, 2025

This clean sweep of the three major individual championship titles is a feat of consistency and physical power that few, if any, riders have ever managed concurrently. It’s a spectacular achievement that solidifies his status as the undisputed king of the chronometer in the current peloton.

 

Is Remco Evenepoel the Best Time Trialist We Have Ever Seen?

 

The question on every cycling fan's lips is an absolute blockbuster: Is Remco Evenepoel the greatest time trialist in history?

It's a debate that pits the Belgian’s early-career dominance against the sustained excellence of legends like Fabian Cancellara, Tony Martin, and Miguel Indurain.

Arguments for Evenepoel being the GOAT:

1. Championship Clean Sweep: Holding the World, Olympic, and European titles simultaneously provides a compelling, quantifiable metric of current supremacy that even the greats struggled to match.
2. Versatility on Terrain: Evenepoel wins on flat, power-focused courses (like the recent European TT) and on technical, hilly routes (like the World Championships in Kigali and his Grand Tour TT stage wins). His ability to maintain his low-drag position while producing elite power on climbs sets him apart from some previous specialists.
3. Early Career Domination: At just 25 years old, his palmarès is already comparable to the career totals of riders considered all-time greats. He has many prime years ahead to add to his haul.

Arguments for the Legends (Cancellara, Martin, Indurain):

1. Longevity and Volume: Cancellara and Martin amassed four World Championship titles, and Cancellara claimed two Olympic golds, over longer careers. Evenepoel has the opportunity to surpass these figures, but the sheer volume and longevity of their decade-long dominance are currently unmatched.
2. Specialist Focus: While Evenepoel is a top-tier Grand Tour and Classics rider, some purist time trialists like Martin and Cancellara focused intensely on the discipline, perhaps achieving a greater number of TT wins and Grand Tour stage victories in the event.

Conclusion:

While the debate is far from over—and Evenepoel's career is still unfolding—his "Triple" of World, Olympic, and European titles is a phenomenal achievement that gives him a legitimate case as the most dominant time trialist of his generation, and a powerful argument for the title of the greatest ever.

For now, one thing is certain: when Remco Evenepoel rolls down the ramp, the world stops to watch, knowing they are seeing an athlete who has truly mastered the 'race of truth.' He is the yardstick against which all modern time trialists must be measured.