The last major standalone time trial of the season, a solitary reckoning through the Vendée that has drawn the finest chronomen since 1982.
Chrono des Nations is a men's individual time trial held each October in Les Herbiers, western France. One of the last standalone time trial events on the international calendar, it has served as a season-closing benchmark for specialists since its founding in 1982.
Tony Martin claimed four victories here, and the roll of honor includes Cancellara, Indurain, and Boardman.
Race hubs are the canonical route for evergreen context, route notes, and current watch destinations. Broadcast rights can move by market, and edition-level details stay current when race week approaches.
This is one of the few standalone time trials left on the international calendar, and it attracts the discipline's best when form still matters and the season has not yet dissolved into criteriums and track camps. The course runs through the Vendée countryside south of Les Herbiers, where rolling terrain and October weather create a pacing puzzle that rewards tactical maturity as much as raw power. It is essential viewing for anyone who appreciates time trialing as a complete discipline rather than a flat-road power test.
The approximately 50-kilometer course uses the rolling Vendée countryside to create a test that punishes both early aggression and passive pacing. Unlike flat power courses, the gradients here demand constant gear and effort adjustments. Exposed sections bring October crosswinds that penalize aerodynamic misjudgment, while the final kilometers include a rising finish that rewards those who have held something back. The greatest performances here come from riders who treat the middle third as investment rather than spectacle. Equipment choices carry real weight in October conditions, and the riders who have raced this course before carry a meaningful advantage in reading where the seconds are won and lost.
One of the few standalone time trials on the international calendar. Roughly 50 kilometers of rolling terrain that rewards pacing discipline and sustained power.
Late-season weather in western France adds rain, wind, and cold as tactical variables. Equipment choices and risk tolerance matter.
The course runs through gently rolling terrain south of Les Herbiers, with exposed sections where crosswinds can cost seconds.
Most recent winner: Stefan Kung (2024)
Stefan Kung won his third consecutive Chrono des Nations, establishing himself as the undisputed master of the late-season time trial.
Joshua Tarling won at age 19, the youngest winner in the race modern history. His victory signaled a generational shift in time trialing.
Three consecutive victories (2021-2022, plus 2024) made Kung the modern king of Les Herbiers. His pacing discipline on rolling terrain is unmatched.
Two wins (2023, 2025) at a remarkably young age. Tarling combines raw power with a maturity on the bike that belies his years.
Four victories in the race earlier era. Martin defined the Chrono des Nations as a destination for the world best time trialists.
Won the race during his peak years, adding the Chrono des Nations to a time trial palmar that includes Olympic gold and World Championship titles.
The town in the Vendee that hosts the race. The rolling roads around Les Herbiers provide the canvas for a 50-kilometer test of sustained power.
The gently rolling terrain creates a pacing puzzle. Not flat enough for pure power, not hilly enough for climbers. The gradients demand constant gear changes.
