Remco Evenepoel won his third consecutive individual time trial world title at the Road World Cycling Championships in Rwanda.

The 25-year-old Belgian retained the rainbow jersey by crossing the line in 49 minutes 46.03 seconds after a completely dominant display in the nation’s capital Kigali.

Australia’s Jay Vine finished one minute 14.80secs behind Evenepoel and Ilan van Wilder clinched third, two minutes 36.07secs down.

“It felt pretty good straight away on the first flat part,” Evenepoel told BBC Sport. “I was holding my pace without going over the limit, and then the first climb was actually quite hard along with the last two ones.

“I really pushed it there, and after I tried to keep a pace I could hold.

“I hated the cobbles. It was so, so hard to push through them but in the end I won and that is the most important thing.

“My team-mate Ilan [van Wilder] came third so it is a phenomenal day for us.”

Evenepoel, who won Olympic golds in the time trial and the road race at the Paris Games last summer, was the favourite going into the race and it was his to lose after such an impressive first climb.

His pace was so strong that he passed Slovenia’s Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar on the course despite starting a couple of minutes after him.

The championships are being held in Africa for the first time and have been described as the toughest ever because of the steep ascents and high altitude.

There was no representative from Great Britain in the men’s race.