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- Scholz's party narrowly leads far-right AfD in east German state vote: exit polls
- UN adopts pact to tackle volatile future for mankind
- Leclerc hails Ferrari fightback from torrid Singapore GP qualifying
- Belgian Evenepoel retains world title in 'toughest time trial'
- Sosa rescues point for Forest against Brighton
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- Australia's Brown adds world title to Olympic time trial gold
- Russian strike on Ukraine's Kharkiv wounds 21
- UK's Starmer rules out austerity as Labour conference opens
- Roma CEO steps down amid anger over club icon De Rossi's sacking
- Hezbollah rockets strike near Israel's Haifa as UN warns of 'catastrophe'
- Haddad Maia roars back to beat Kasatkina in Korea Open final
- Failed Springbok 'gamble' sets up rugby championship decider
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- Far-right AfD eyes new win in east German state vote
- Tony Popovic set to become new Socceroos coach - reports
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- Ashwin bags six wickets as India hammer Bangladesh in first Test
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- Hezbollah takes heavy hits but still fighting Israel
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- All Blacks coach Robertson demands better finishing
- Argentina edge South Africa to keep title hopes alive
Belgian Evenepoel retains world title in 'toughest time trial'
Remco Evenepoel successfully defended the world time trial title in Zurich on Sunday, surviving a lost chain on the starters ramp that blew his concentration to triumph ahead of Italian pair Filippo Ganna in second and Edoardo Affini in third.
Olympic champion in Paris, Evenepoel matched Ganna on the flat and gained on him in the rolling sections before Ganna, a double world champion himself, went for broke in the home straight to set up a razor's edge finish.
Instead of shooting down the ramp, the distracted favourite Evenepoel took time to gather his nerve for a slower than expected start.
On his gold Olympic champion's bike, Evenepoel showed deep reserves of nerve and stamina to cling onto the lead over the final section of the 46.1km run along Lake Zurich.
"I felt good at the start physically, then struggled on the hill without quite going too close to the limit," said the plucky Quick Step man.
"But this is the world championships and you have to give everything, it was easily the toughest time trial of my life."
Evenepoel won the time trial and the road race at the Summer Games and next Sunday can repeat that here in Zurich on the world stage.
"Tadej Pogacar is favourite but I came here for the title and I'll be trying for that," said the Belgian.
Should he win next Sunday it would be a 60th top level win at the age of 24, despite a long lay-off due to falling over a stone wall into a ravine at the Tour of Lombardy four years ago.
After Evenepoel had described the road surfaces of Paris in the harshest terms at the Olympics, the pristine surfaces of Zurich would have been more suited to the larger, more powerful Ganna, but he finished 6sec behind the winner.
An unheralded rider until this season but European time-trial champion just a few weeks ago, Affini was again celebrating after he flew under the radar as incidents befell others to deprive them of a shot at the podium.
Australia's Jay Vine finished covered in blood when a fall ended his hopes of bronze, but he showed great courage by clambering back into the saddle with blood running from a cut at the top of his nose.
Other disappointments concerned Briton Josh Tarling, who came fourth, Slovenian Primoz Roglic who wilted badly and local hero Steffan Kung who hung his head at the finish line.
Of the lesser lights who also star at the world championships, Uganda's Charles Kagimu was first down the ramp while Ahmad Badreddin Wais of the Refugee Cycling Team scampered down it with sheer delight as second rider on the course.
C.Amaral--PC