The Chrono des Nations ME is a prestigious standalone time trial held in Les Herbiers, covering just over 45 kilometres on a flat profile that heavily rewards pure time trial specialists. As a 1.1-rated one-day race, it attracts a focused field of dedicated rouleurs and all-rounders with strong time trial pedigrees. The flat nature of the course leaves nowhere to hide and places a premium on sustained power output rather than climbing or tactical racing.
★★★★
Top Favorite
Stefan Küng stands alone at the top. His win in stage 18 (ITT) of the Vuelta a España is the most directly relevant recent result in the entire field, and his time trial ability is elite-level. On a flat 45 km course with no tactical complexity, he is the clear favorite to take the victory.
Tudor Pro Cycling
Tudor Pro Cycling
Stefan Küng is the standout favorite for this time trial. His win in stage 18 (ITT) of the Vuelta a España in the past 90 days is the single most compelling recent result in the field, and his time trial ability ranks among the very best here, making him the clear benchmark.
★★★
Strong Contenders
Maxime Decomble and Mikkel Bjerg form a strong second tier. Decomble's ITT win at the Tour Poitou-Charentes is a direct proof of concept for this format, while Bjerg brings world-class time trial pedigree and one of the most complete profiles in the startlist. Either could win on the right day.
Groupama-FDJ
Groupama-FDJ
Maxime Decomble arrives with genuine winning credentials after taking stage 3 (ITT) of the Tour Poitou-Charentes recently, a result that speaks directly to his readiness for this format. Despite modest raw stats by comparison, that recent ITT win in a similar-profile event elevates him firmly into contender territory.
UAE Emirates
UAE Emirates
Mikkel Bjerg possesses one of the strongest time trial profiles in this entire startlist and has accumulated notable experience at the elite level in this discipline. While his similar-profile results over the past 90 days haven't translated into a podium, his pedigree and well-rounded stats make him a reliable threat.
★★
Dark Horses
Rémi Cavagna, Alec Segaert, and Martijn Rasenberg occupy the dark-horse band. Cavagna's recent top-3 in a similar-profile event and strong time trial ability make him dangerous, Segaert is one of the sport's rising time trial talents, and Rasenberg's consistent top results in similar races over recent weeks show he is in fine fettle.
Bahrain Victorious
Bahrain Victorious
Alec Segaert is one of the most exciting young time trialists on the circuit and his time trial stat is one of the highest in this startlist. Although his similar-profile results haven't yet yielded a podium in the window, his upward trajectory and specialist profile keep him firmly in the dark-horse conversation.
Unibet Rose
Unibet Rose
Martijn Rasenberg has been consistently active in similar-profile races recently, banking a top-3 and two top-10s, which speaks to steady form in this format. His time trial ability may not top the leaderboard, but his volume of competitive results in the past 90 days gives him a credible case.
Groupama-FDJ
Groupama-FDJ
Rémi Cavagna has posted a top-3 finish in similar-profile races recently, underscoring his capacity to compete at the sharp end of elite time trials. His time trial ability is among the stronger in this field and his Groupama-FDJ infrastructure supports his preparation well.
★
Ones to Watch
Four riders round out the selection as genuine ones to watch. Mattia Cattaneo is an experienced time trialist who can outperform expectations on a flat course. Danny Van der Tuuk's recent top-3 in a similar-profile race is a notable flag. Samuel Leroux has been quietly consistent in this format recently. And Remco Evenepoel, despite limited recent form data, carries the highest raw time trial ceiling in the field — if he arrives in shape, the race could look very different.
Euskaltel-Euskadi
Euskaltel-Euskadi
Danny Van der Tuuk posted a top-3 finish in similar-profile races recently, a result that punches above the expectations his raw stats might suggest. That result alone is enough to merit a spot among the riders to watch on the day.
Red Bull - BORA
Red Bull - BORA
Mattia Cattaneo is an experienced rouleur with a strong time trial background and one of the better all-round profiles in this startlist. His similar-profile results haven't fired recently, but on a flat 45 km course he can never be entirely discounted.
Red Bull - BORA
Red Bull - BORA
Remco Evenepoel's time trial ability is unambiguously the highest in this entire startlist, and on paper no one in this field comes close to his potential ceiling in a flat 45 km effort. The caveat is limited recent form data in similar-profile races, but his sheer quality demands his inclusion among the riders to watch.
TotalEnergies
TotalEnergies
Samuel Leroux has shown up consistently in similar-profile events recently, collecting a top-5 and two top-10s, and his time trial numbers are competitive within this field. He represents a credible outsider for TotalEnergies.
Verdict
Stefan Küng is the top favorite, with his recent ITT win at the Vuelta a España making him the rider everyone else must beat. Maxime Decomble, fresh from winning a similar ITT at the Tour Poitou-Charentes, and Mikkel Bjerg, one of the discipline's most reliable performers, are the chief threats to his ambitions.