van Dijk earned a comfortable time trial win while her teammate van der Vleuten took bronze ©Getty Images

The Netherlands secured Baku 2015 European Games gold and bronze medals in the women’s individual time trial here today, as Ellen van Dijk stormed to victory, before Belarus' Vasil Kiryienka cruised to victory in the men's event

The 2013 world champion, van Dijk began as one of the favourites to take gold in a field containing 30 riders. 

It was her teammate Annemiek van Vleuten who set the fastest time of the early starters after completing the 25.8 kilometres  course in 33min 33.56sec.

The lead came under threat on the course as van Dijk and Ukraine’s Hanna Solovei had dipped inside of her times at two time checks.

Solovei, who returned from a two-year doping ban in 2013 before earning silver in the individual time trial at the 2014 International Cycling Union (UCI) Road World Championships, was the was the first of the two women to finish.

The 23-year-old claimed the lead by finishing in 33:03.37, however, her stay in gold medal position was short-lived as van Dijk set a new best time within minutes.

van Dijk has been a world title winner and three-time national champion in this discipline
Ellen van Dijk has been a world title winner and three-time national champion in this discipline ©Getty Images

The Dutchwoman ended 36 seconds up on the Solovei and he time of 32:26.87 was unchallenged by the remaining riders on the windy course.

“I was confident I could do this," said van Dijk.

“But then the time trial is very hard to see how strong the competition is especially as there are not a lot of time trials during the season.

“The only thing you can really do is focus on your own time trial and I just felt great and the same goes for the last few weeks.

"It is the first European Games and that is quite special.

"This was a race I have been preparing for for weeks."

Belarus' Vasil Kiryienka swept the field aside to win the men's time trial
Belarus' Vasil Kiryienka swept the field aside to win the men's time trial ©Getty Images

The men's race saw cyclists having to compete two laps of the course and Belarus' Vasil Kiryienka proved to be the dominant rider as he finished over a minute clear of his nearest challenger to secure gold.

Kiryienka's victory rarely looked in much doubt as he set the fastest times at each of the checkpoints before crossing the line in 59:36.03 to displace longtime leader Luis Leon Sanchez Gil of Spain.

The Spaniard's time of 1:01:08.90 proved enough to take the bronze medal, after Dutch cyclist Stef Clement took silver after completely the 51.6km time trial in 1:00:46.08.

However there was misfortune for the home favourite Elchin Asadov who admitted afterwards that he had taken a wrong turn on the course, after which he pulled out of the event.



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