Héctor Álvarez closes his international medal count with the under-23 time trial gold

The Spanish cyclist Hector Alvarez was made with the gold medal in the men’s under-23 time trial at the European cycling championships on the Ljubljana road (Slovenia), which take place from October 2 to 7, with a time of 28:44.70he fourth metal added between Europeans and World Cups in 2026.

The podium was completed by the Belgian Matisse van Kerckhovewith a time of 28:47.77 after a very good final stretch, and the Norwegian Kasper Hauglandwho stopped the clock in a time of 29:03.80.

Spanish cyclist Héctor Álvarez won the gold medal in the men’s under-23 time trial at the European road cycling competitions in Ljubljana.RFEC / Sprintcycling

Álvarez had also won the men’s under-23 online race, held last Friday, a gold that he added to the silver and bronze he obtained at the World Championships in Montreal (Canada). At the 2025 Europeans, he had been third in line and seventh in the time trial in this category. It is the first time that a Spaniard wins a continental men’s under-23 medal against the clock.

All the routes of these Europeans were structured around a 22.1 kilometer circuit in which the protagonist was the ascent to Mozjanca (2.1 kilometers at 10.2% average slope, with maximums of 15.8%). In all the individual time trial events, the course consisted of going around the circuit.

Héctor Álvarez began dominating from the first intermediate control (13:43.00), located just after the climb. He had an advantage of about four seconds over the Belgian Matisse van Kerckhove, silver in the under-23 time trial at the 2025 European Championship.

Spanish cyclist Héctor Álvarez won the gold medal in the men's under-23 time trial at the European road cycling competitions in Ljubljana. — Spanish cyclist Héctor Álvarez won the gold medal in the under-23 time trial. The podium was completed by the Belgian Matisse van Kerckhove and the Norwegian Kasper Haugland.RFEC / Sprintcycling

In the second time control, after the descent, the Spaniard’s advantage over Van Kerckhove had increased to around 13 seconds. Álvarez had already shown great mastery of the downhill to win European gold online last Friday. The rest of the competitors, more than 20 seconds behind, assumed that they would have to fight for bronze.

The Spanish cyclist, in the structure of Lidl-Trek, He suffered more on the flat, where the Belgian shaved a few seconds off him again, but saved first place by three seconds.

Álvarez’s medal joins the golds of Benjamín Noval and Alejandra Neira in the junior time trials. This Wednesday all time trial categories will be held, from junior to elite, both men and women, to conclude with the Europeans.