Ellen van Dijk targets time trial hat-trick in Glasgow

The Dutch rider won the inaugural event in 2016 and followed that up with victory last year.

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Dutch cyclist Ellen van Dijk is aiming to complete a hat-trick of women's time trial titles at the Glasgow 2018 European Championships on Wednesday.

The Dutch rider won the inaugural event in 2016 and followed that up with victory last year, while team-mate Anna van der Breggen took silver in 2016 and bronze behind Belgium's Ann-Sophie Duyck 12 months ago.

"The goal is for a third gold medal at the Europeans, but I know it will be a tough field," said van Dijk, who also took part in the women's road race last Sunday.

Belgium's reigning Champion Victor Campenaerts will defend his title in the men's race against the clock having also won silver in 2016.

A pro rider with the Lotto Soudal team, Campenaerts finished third in the time trial on the opening stage of the Giro d'Italia in Jerusalem in May, when likely Glasgow rivals Jose Goncalves of Portugal and Britain's Alex Dowsett were fourth and fifth respectively.

The Belgian's rivals should also include 2015 World Champion Vasil Kiryienka of Belarus, Switzerland's Stefan Kung and Ireland's Ryan Mullen, the bronze medallist last year.

"The course is relatively straightforward," said Great Britain's Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games silver medallist Harry Tanfield. "There are very few flat bits, it's mainly up and down."

Both races, which sees riders set off at interval, will start at the Riverside Museum and finish on Glasgow Green.