World Cycling Championships 2022: Favourites + start times ITT – men

Form of the day, that’s the most likely factor deciding on gold, silver, bronze, or nothing. Form of the day and, obviously, sheer talent. Remco Evenepoel and double World Champion Filippo Ganna are the endowed in that regard. Evenepoel won the ITTs in the Tour de Suisse and La Vuelta and he is the reigning national ITT champion of Belgium. Ganna took six victories this season, and they were all ITTs – the most notable wins were at the Tirreno-Adriatico, Critérium du Dauphiné and the Italian national championship.

Dark horses are Stefan Küng and Stefan Bissegger – both bested Ganna in the European Championships ITT in Germany -, and possibly Rémi Cavagna and Ethan Hayter.

Last year, Ganna won ITT gold 6 seconds ahead of Van Aert with Evenepoel another 38 seconds further in arrears. That course was as flat as a curling rink. In 2020, Ganna stormed to gold on a route with half as much elevation gain as this year. The route in Wollongong takes in 312 metres of climbing with a 700 metres test at 6.7% that’s tackled twice – once in each lap – standing out. This hill could turn out to be decisive, and possibly favour Evenepoel.

Notable absentees in this year’s World Championships ITT are Rohan Dennis, Wout van Aert and Olympic Champion Primoz Roglic.

Favourites World Championships 2022 ITT

*** Filippo Ganna, Remco Evenepoel
** Stefan Küng, Stefan Bissegger, Rémi Cavagna, Ethan Hayter
* Tadej Pogacar, Bauke Mollema, Magnus Sheffield, Luke Plapp

Starting times of above mentioned riders – local times (AEST):
13:46:30 – Luke Plapp
14:44:30 – Stefan Bissegger
16:00:00 – Magnus Sheffield
16:10:30 – Rémi Cavagna
16:12:00 – Ethan Hayter
16:13:30 – Bauke Mollema
16:15:00 – Stefan Küng
16:16:30 – Tadej Pogacar
16:18:00 – Remco Evenepoel
16:19:30 – Filippo Ganna