Soudal Quick-Step Devo Team’s rider led home a fantastic 1-2 for Belgium after a flawless race against the clock.
Jonathan Vervenne is the new U23 European ITT Champion! The 22-year-old, who came to the start straight from Rwanda, where last week he competed in both the individual time trial and mixed relay TTT, produced a superb display in France and took the biggest victory of his career so far.
The 24km race between Loriol-sur-Drôme and Étoile-sur-Rhône wasn’t a pan-flat one, featuring some rolling roads and a 1.1km climb just before the finish. Vervenne, who earlier this season captured his second national title in the discipline, covered it in 30:27 thanks to a remarkable average speed of 47.26km/h, despite some pretty heavy headwind. The Belgian took the win for two seconds ahead of countryman Matisse Van Kerckhove, while Ireland’s Adam Rafferty rounded out the podium in Ardèche.
“I knew that I was in good shape and that on a good day I could come close to victory, but I can’t say I was expecting to become European Champion. As soon as I rolled down the ramp, I rode according to my pre-race pacing plan, but then, in the second part of the race, I increased the speed, as I felt better and better. Maybe that was what made the difference in the end on this course which I liked a lot.”
“It feels amazing to bring to a conclusion my time in the U23 with such a big success. It’s something that makes me very proud and motivates me for next year, when I can’t wait to race in the World Tour”, said Jonathan, who in 2026 will turn pro with Soudal Quick-Step.
Photo credit: ©Billy Ceusters / Getty Images
