Sawt Falasteen - Evenepoel takes Criterium lead with time-trial triumph

Two months after breaking a shoulder Belgian Evenepoel won the 34km individual effort in the eight-day Criterium by 17sec from Briton Josh Tarling and 39sec ahead of Primoz Roglic.

The trio should also be medal hopes at the Paris Olympics time-trial.

Roglic and Evenepoel however are seen as rivals to Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar at the upcoming Tour de France, where two tough time-trials, one on gravel and the other a final day slog across the Monaco to Nice corniche, stand in the way of any winner.

Evenepoel said he was both relieved and proud to find his form.

"It's been quite a long way. Three weeks of almost no bike and then only four weeks of training, so to be at this level already is a good sign towards the Tour," said the Soudal Quick Step leader, who was decked out in his time-trial world champion rainbow jersey.

"Now we go day by day and we will see what we can achieve in this race," he added.

With a blockbuster weekend of climbing in the Alps ahead Evenepoel leads Roglic by 33sec in the overall standings with Paris-Nice champion Matteo Jorgenson of Visma in third at 1min 07sec.

Other potential winners Spaniards Juan Ayuso of UAE at 1min 27sec and Carlos Rodriguez of Ineis at 1min 41 lurk slightly lower down the standings awaiting the mountain challenges.

T.Khatib--SF-PST