{"id":4117,"date":"2026-10-18T17:15:26","date_gmt":"2026-10-18T15:15:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lafagianata.it\/en\/evenepoel-wins-the-chrono-des-nations-by-211-over-vine-squiban-takes-the-womens-race\/"},"modified":"2026-10-18T17:15:26","modified_gmt":"2026-10-18T15:15:26","slug":"evenepoel-wins-the-chrono-des-nations-by-211-over-vine-squiban-takes-the-womens-race","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lafagianata.it\/en\/evenepoel-wins-the-chrono-des-nations-by-211-over-vine-squiban-takes-the-womens-race\/","title":{"rendered":"Evenepoel wins the Chrono des Nations by 2\u201911\u201d over Vine, Squiban takes the women\u2019s race"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Remco Evenepoel rolled off the start ramp in front of the Les Herbiers town hall last of all and covered the 45.4 km of the Chrono des Nations in 49\u201953\u201d<\/mark>, at an average of 54.6 km\/h<\/mark>. On Sunday 18 October 2026 the Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe rider beat Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates XRG) by 2\u201911\u201d and Stefan K\u00fcng (Tudor) by 2\u201928\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is his first win in the Vend\u00e9e in his third appearance among the elite, and the widest margin since 2010. Earlier in the afternoon, over the 27.2 km of the women\u2019s race, Ma\u00ebva Squiban (UAE Team L\u2019IMAD) won in 35\u201936\u201d, 24\u201d clear of Nadia Gontova (Liv AlUla Jayco) and 38\u201d clear of Juliette Berthet (FDJ United-SUEZ).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Italian thread runs through two names: Alessia Vigilia, fifth among the women, and Luca Giaimi, ninth among the men.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Evenepoel wins at his third elite attempt<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Five years to turn the gaps around<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Evenepoel had already won in Les Herbiers in 2018, as a junior. Among the elite he was fifth in 2021, 1\u201922\u201d behind K\u00fcng, and second in 2023, 13\u201d behind Joshua Tarling. This time the Swiss rider who beat him five years ago finished third, more than two minutes down: a swing of 3\u201950\u201d<\/mark> between the two gaps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Between 2021 and 2025 the elite race was shared by K\u00fcng, three times, and Tarling, twice. The run ends with the Swiss on the start line and, for the first time since he began dominating it, only third on the podium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eight days after Il Lombardia, on a new bike<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Belgian was fourth at Il Lombardia on 10 October. He came to the Vend\u00e9e to race the new time trial bike developed with Specialized, and the test went the way he wanted: after the finish he said he had felt at one with the bike and had found the power and speed he was looking for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He rode flat out without using any rival as a reference. It was his last chance to win in 2026, and the season ends with a step forward on equipment ahead of 2027.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lead grew in every sector<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

First check: 2.5 seconds per kilometre<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

At the first time check, after 10.5 km, Evenepoel already had 26\u201d on K\u00fcng, the second fastest at that point. That is about 2.5 seconds per kilometre<\/mark>. Vine was only fifth there, and his race would come later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Between the checks: 3.4 seconds per kilometre<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

At the second check, at km 34.2, the lead over K\u00fcng was 1\u201947\u201d, with Vine third at 1\u201955\u201d. In the 23.7 km between the two points Evenepoel took 81 seconds out of the Swiss, about 3.4 seconds per kilometre<\/mark>: this is where the race was decided.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The last 11.2 km: Vine takes second place<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In the finale Evenepoel caught Vine, who had started ahead of him. The Australian did not give up: from there to the line he lost only 16\u201d to the winner, about 1.4 seconds per kilometre, the best finish after the Belgian\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

K\u00fcng, over the same stretch, lost 24\u201d to Vine and 41\u201d to Evenepoel. That is how the podium turned in the last ten kilometres: the Swiss was second at km 34.2 and finished third.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The same pace as Millar in 2010<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In 2010 David Millar beat Edvald Boasson Hagen by 2\u201919\u201d over 48 km. Since then no Chrono des Nations winner had put more than two minutes into the runner-up. Per kilometre the two margins are practically identical: 2.9 seconds<\/mark> for Millar, 2.9 for Evenepoel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The comparison that says most about the day, though, is inside the result. Between Vine, second, and R\u00e9mi Cavagna, sixth, there are 52\u201d. Between Vine and Giaimi, ninth, 1\u201943\u201d. The gap Evenepoel opened on the runner-up is wider than the one between second and ninth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vine averaged 52.3 km\/h, K\u00fcng 52.0, Maxime Decomble, fourth and the best of the French, 51.9. Evenepoel is the only one above 54.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Squiban wins a women\u2019s race settled by a few seconds<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Six riders inside a minute<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Squiban covered the 27.2 km at an average of 45.8 km\/h<\/mark>. Gontova, a Canadian, finished at 45.3 km\/h, Berthet at 45.0. The winner\u2019s margin over second place is about 0.9 seconds per kilometre: a third of Evenepoel\u2019s over Vine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The top six finished within 56\u201d, with C\u00e9lia Le Mou\u00ebl fourth at 45\u201d and Isabella Bertold sixth. Among the men, nobody finished within that time of the winner: second place is 2\u201911\u201d down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In percentage terms the gap is a quarter<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The two time trials are not the same length, and the fair way to compare them is the gap as a share of the winner\u2019s time. Squiban put about 1.1%<\/mark> of her time into Gontova. Evenepoel put about 4.4% into Vine: four times as much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way Vigilia, fifth, is about 2.4% behind Squiban, while Bjerg, fifth among the men, is about 5.9% behind Evenepoel. In the women\u2019s race the fifth-placed rider is closer to the winner than the men\u2019s runner-up is to his.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three French riders in the top four<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In the Vend\u00e9e the women\u2019s race was a home affair. Squiban, Berthet and Le Mou\u00ebl are French and fill three of the first four places. Only Gontova slipped between them, losing 24\u201d to the winner and taking 14\u201d from Berthet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vigilia fifth and Giaimi ninth, the Italians of the day<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Alessia Vigilia 14 seconds off the podium<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Vigilia (Uno-X Mobility) finished fifth, 52\u201d behind Squiban, at an average of 44.7 km\/h<\/mark>. She was 14\u201d from Berthet\u2019s third place and 7\u201d from Le Mou\u00ebl\u2019s fourth: over 27.2 km that is about half a second per kilometre. She is the best Italian in the result, in a race where the podium was decided inside half a minute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luca Giaimi ninth among the men<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Among the men the first Italian is Giaimi (UAE Team Emirates XRG), ninth at 3\u201954\u201d, at an average of 50.6 km\/h<\/mark>. He finished ahead of Samuel Leroux and 17\u201d behind Alec Segaert, eighth: at the bottom of the top ten the gaps are as tight as in the women\u2019s race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Behind him came two MBH Bank CSB Telecom Fort riders: Lorenzo Nespoli seventeenth at 6\u201936\u201d, about 48.2 km\/h, and Matteo Ambrosini eighteenth at 7\u201901\u201d, about 47.9 km\/h.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The time trial season ends in Les Herbiers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Chrono des Nations is the last time trial of the year, and this year it said two different things. Among the men there was a rider on another level, who turned an end-of-season race into an equipment test won by a historic margin. Among the women there was a real race, settled by a few seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Evenepoel it is a win that changes nobody\u2019s ranking but says a lot about the equipment he will start 2027 with. For Vigilia and Giaimi it is a top-ten place against time trial specialists at the end of a long season, and a benchmark to start again from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before the start the preview had Evenepoel as the name to beat: Chrono des Nations 2026: Remco Evenepoel in Les Herbiers eight days after Il Lombardia<\/a>. Il Lombardia eight days ago is told in Paul Seixas wins Il Lombardia solo, aged twenty<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Results<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Elite men, 45.4 km<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Pos.<\/th>Rider<\/th>Team<\/th>Time<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
1<\/td>Remco Evenepoel<\/td>Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe<\/td>49\u201953\u201d<\/td><\/tr>
2<\/td>Jay Vine<\/td>UAE Team Emirates XRG<\/td>+2\u201911\u201d<\/td><\/tr>
3<\/td>Stefan K\u00fcng<\/td>Tudor Pro Cycling Team<\/td>+2\u201928\u201d<\/td><\/tr>
4<\/td>Maxime Decomble<\/td>Groupama-FDJ United<\/td>+2\u201934\u201d<\/td><\/tr>
5<\/td>Mikkel Bjerg<\/td>UAE Team Emirates XRG<\/td>+2\u201958\u201d<\/td><\/tr>
6<\/td>R\u00e9mi Cavagna<\/td>Groupama-FDJ United<\/td>+3\u201903\u201d<\/td><\/tr>
7<\/td>Stefan de Bod<\/td>Modern Adventure Pro Cycling<\/td>+3\u201936\u201d<\/td><\/tr>
8<\/td>Alec Segaert<\/td>Bahrain Victorious<\/td>+3\u201937\u201d<\/td><\/tr>
9<\/td>Luca Giaimi<\/td>UAE Team Emirates XRG<\/td>+3\u201954\u201d<\/td><\/tr>
10<\/td>Samuel Leroux<\/td>TotalEnergies<\/td>+4\u201907\u201d<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Elite women, 27.2 km<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Pos.<\/th>Rider<\/th>Team<\/th>Time<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
1<\/td>Ma\u00ebva Squiban<\/td>UAE Team L\u2019IMAD<\/td>35\u201936\u201d<\/td><\/tr>
2<\/td>Nadia Gontova<\/td>Liv AlUla Jayco<\/td>+24\u201d<\/td><\/tr>
3<\/td>Juliette Berthet<\/td>FDJ United-SUEZ<\/td>+38\u201d<\/td><\/tr>
4<\/td>C\u00e9lia Le Mou\u00ebl<\/td>Ma Petite Entreprise<\/td>+45\u201d<\/td><\/tr>
5<\/td>Alessia Vigilia<\/td>Uno-X Mobility<\/td>+52\u201d<\/td><\/tr>
6<\/td>Isabella Bertold<\/td>Torelli<\/td>+56\u201d<\/td><\/tr>
7<\/td>Lotte Claes<\/td>Fenix-Premier Tech<\/td>+1\u201911\u201d<\/td><\/tr>
8<\/td>No\u00e9mie Abgrall<\/td>Ma Petite Entreprise<\/td>+2\u201914\u201d<\/td><\/tr>
9<\/td>Lauren Dickson<\/td>FDJ United-SUEZ<\/td>+2\u201916\u201d<\/td><\/tr>
10<\/td>Gwen Nothum<\/td>Minimax Cycling Team<\/td>+2\u201927\u201d<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

News written with the help of Mnemosyne<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sources<\/h2>\n\n\n\n