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Vasil Kiryienka surprises rivals to be crowned world champion

Rohan Dennis's punctured tire ruined his chance at the UCI Road World Championships. (32.616 miles) . (AP Photo/Keystone,Marcel Bier)
Roar Guru
24th September, 2015
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Belarusian cyclist Vasil Kiryienka upstaged his more favoured rivals to claim a maiden world championship victory in the individual time trial at the 2015 UCI Road World Championships in Richmond, Virginia.

Despite being considered an outsider for the victory Kiryienka thoroughly outclassed the pre-race favourites. The Belarusian’s closest rival on the day would prove to be Adriano Malori, with the Italian finishing the 53-kilometre course just nine seconds slower.

It would be a dismal day for pre-race favourite Tony Martin, with the German finishing the event in seventh. Up against it from the very beginning, the previously impervious Martin was unable to match the pace set by his rivals and finished over a minute behind Kiryienka.

Meanwhile, Rohan Dennis’s hopes of a podium finish were dashed when the South Australian had to change his time trial bike after an unfortunate puncture out on course. Before the incident the 25-year-old looked likely to push for a podium finish, alas the Australian will have to wait until next year for another chance at the illustrious rainbow jersey.

The surprise result of the day came when Jérome Coppel completed the 53-kilometre course just 26 seconds slower than the victorious Kiryienka to clinch the bronze medal by three seconds. At the start of the day very few pundits had expected the Frenchman to beat the likes of Martin, Dennis, Tom Dumoulin and Jonathan Castroviejo.

Dumoulin proved the strongest of the three pre-race favourites, thanks to Dennis’s enforced bike change, but still finished the time trial course just over a minute slower than Kiryienka. The 24 year-old Dutchman would have been hoping for a better result given his status as Martin’s strongest rival, and potential successor, but he could only achieve fifth place by the end of the day.

Australian, Orica-GreenEDGE duo Michael Hepburn and Luke Durbridge finished the elite men’s individual time trial in 15th and 20th respectively.

Results: 2015 UCI Road World Championships Elite Men’s Individual Time Trial
1. Vasil Kiryienka (BLR), 01:02:29”
2. Adriano Malori (ITA), +00:00:09”
3. Jérome Coppel (FRA), +00:00:26”
4. Jonathan Castroviejo (ESP), +00:00:29”
5. Tom Dumoulin (NED), +00:01:01”
6. Rohan Dennis (AUS), +00:01:07”
7. Tony Martin (GER), +00:01:16”
8. Maciej Bodnar (POL), +00:01:17”
9. Marcin Bialoblocki (POL), +00:01:22”
10. Moreno Moser (ITA), +00:01:31”

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