Jay Vine enjoyed one of the most brilliant seasons of his career, capping it with a silver medal in the elite time trial at the World Championships in Kigali, Rwanda. For the Australian, this represents a true "redemption" after finishing fifth last year in Zurich.

The 40.6km course, located at 1,450 meters above sea level, featured four challenging climbs, including two sections on the Côte de Nyanza and the final cobbled section of the Côte de Kimihurura. On paper, the route was a perfect fit for Vine.

"I've been aiming for these World Championships for 12 months, ever since the route was revealed. This mix of climbing, altitude, and heat was perfect for me," the Australian said at a press conference.

Despite a controlled start, Vine steadily improved along the course, finishing 1:14 behind three-time world champion Remco Evenepoel. "I think I ran my best time trial ever, but he was simply unbeatable today. Even if I had trained specifically for this race, I don't think I could have recovered that one minute and fourteen seconds," he admitted with sportsmanship.

Vine's preparation for these World Championships was quite unique, with a last-minute call-up to the Vuelta España, where he won three stages and the polka-dot jersey. "The original plan was to ride three weeks of high-altitude terrain in Andorra with the Australian national team, but I had to adapt. I'm incredibly proud of this silver medal; it's one of the best moments of my career."