UCI Road World Championships: ‘I have to believe it’ – Tobias Foss after stunning favourites to win ITT

Tobias Foss (Norway) stunned the field – and himself – to win the Road World Championships men’s time trial.

The 25-year-old had never won a race outside his own national championships, but his mark of 40:02 ensured the Norwegian the rainbow jersey.

Stefan Kung (Switzerland) took second, three seconds shy of Foss’s mark, with Remco Evenepoel in third, nine seconds back. Filippo Ganna (Italy) finished in seventh.

And Foss said he was in a state of disbelief.

“I don’t believe it, it doesn’t feel real. Man, this is more than I can ever dream for,” the Norwegian said afterwards.

“I will really enjoy it but first I have to believe it. I really felt I got out everything I could today, I couldn’t do anything better. This is unbelievable. It was a perfectly executed race.”

Asked whether he knew he was set for the win while waiting in the hot seat for other – more fancied riders – to complete their efforts, Foss spoke of a lack of confidence.

“I wouldn’t say I am the guy with the greatest confidence,” he added. “So I really didn’t believe it until it was over.”

Foss added that he would have been happy with a top-10 finish.

“If I were top 10 today, I would have been really, really satisfied,” he added. “So to wear that jersey will be really, really special. And I will try to honour it as well as I can.

“I will for sure enjoy it as much as possible.”

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