World Championships | Pier-André Côté achieves first world top 20 in elite time trial

The Road World Championships kicked off this Sunday with the individual time trials for the elite men and women. Pier-André Côté and Olivia Baril are the two Quebecers who represented Canada in Zurich, Switzerland.

The Quebecer, originally from Saint-Henri-de-Lévis and reigning Canadian champion in the specialty a little earlier this summer, succeeded in his bet today by completing the 46.1 km course in 19^e position.

“I had set myself the ambitious goal of making a top 20so to be 19^eI am super happy. To be top 20 “Today’s world time trial, and this is my first time competing in the men’s elite category, I couldn’t be more pleased,” said the 27-year-old.

Côté quickly added that representing Canada in a first time trial among the elites was a very special feeling. “Plus, I did it with my teammate and my friend, Derek Gee, who is also my role model with everything he has done in the last few months.”

Despite some details that could have been improved, Pier-André Côté managed to execute his strategy well by first channeling his energy at the start of the race.

“I wanted to focus on my position to try to go fast, while saving energy for the main hill. I was able to open up and have a good pace “I got there. I maybe eased off a little bit too much in a little hillier section after the main climb where I think I lost a little bit of time. Maybe I could have gone and got two or three more positions,” he added.

The representative of La Belle Province was 2 minutes and 58 seconds behind the world champion who defended his title for a second consecutive year, the Belgian Remco Evenepoel who stopped the clock in 53 minutes and 1 second.

“It motivates me to put more emphasis on time trials in the coming years to perhaps gradually make my way towards the top 10. »

Evenepoel, who also won the gold medal in this discipline at the Paris Olympics, made history today by becoming the first elite male cyclist to achieve a double at the Olympic Games and the World Championships.

Italian Filippo Ganna (+6 seconds) and his teammate Edoardo Affini (+54 seconds) finished second and third respectively.

Derek Gee, the other Canadian in action Sunday, finished 22nd.^e3 minutes and 16 seconds behind the winner.

Olivia Baril finishes 30th^e at the World Championships

It was on a demanding course of 29.9 km and 327 meters of elevation gain that Abitibi native Olivia Baril crossed the finish line 30^e 3 minutes and 45 seconds behind world champion Grace Brown of Australia.

Brown, who was crowned Olympic champion in the discipline at the Paris Games, also defended her title today in a fierce battle with the Dutchwoman Demi Vollering. Everything was decided before the finish line as Brown took gold ahead of the Dutchwoman (+16 seconds).

Brown thus achieved the same historic double as Remco Evenepoel, but on the women’s side.

American Chloé Dygert, who won the 2023 and 2019 World Championships, took third place (+56 seconds).

Alberta’s Paula Findlay, a triathlon Olympian at the 2012 London Games, posted the best Canadian result of the day, finishing 18th.^e rank (+3 minutes 9 seconds).

The road race events will end on Sunday, September 29. In the meantime, Quebecers Baril and Côté will be back in action this Wednesday during the mixed relay time trial.

“Today’s day gives me confidence for the team time trial on Wednesday. For me, it’s important to do it even though we might not go for a performance, but we do so little of it during the season that I tell myself it’s a good idea to get experience to potentially do it well in Montreal in 2026.”