EC 2024: Michiel Mouris sprints to time trial gold in junior men’s category, silver for Jasper Schoofs

The first gold medal for the Netherlands at the European Cycling Championships is a fact. Michiel Mouris clocked the fastest time after 31.3 kilometers. The Belgian Jasper Schoofs rode to a silver medal in front of his own people. Bronze was for the German Paul Fietzke.

The participants in the European Championship time trial for junior men could prepare themselves for an effort over just over 31 kilometers, over a virtually billiard-flat course, between Heusden-Zolder and Hasselt. Before the start, many eyes were focused on the Belgian time trialists, who as home favorites were motivated to the bone to make something of it.

Matisse Van Kerckhove also managed to shake a good time trial out of his legs and set the first benchmark time at the finish. With 37:45 Van Kerckhove could dream of a medal, especially since many riders did not come close to his time.

Schoofs with a top time, but Mouris is even faster
Van Kerckhove was however driven out of the hotseat by… another Belgian. Jasper Schoofs was still one second behind at the second intermediate point, but managed to turn this around after a very strong final phase. And how. In the last eleven kilometers he was almost half a minute(!) faster than Van Kerckhove.

And so Schoofs was the man to beat with a time of 37:15 – good for an average speed of 50.4 kilometers per hour. Only: one rider was still able to dive under this time. His name? Michiel Mouris. The younger brother of Wessel Mouris – who will be in action later today with the promises – recorded a final time of 37:08 and was seven seconds faster than Schoofs.

The 17-year-old Mouris thus ensures the first Dutch title at this EC. He was flanked on the podium by Schoofs and the German Paul Fietzke. The latter stranded in the daily result at 23 seconds behind the Dutchman. Mouris follows the Dane Albert Withen Philipsen on the honor roll.