Please join us for live coverage of the 2012 UCI Road World Championships Team Time Trial. Live blog coverage and updates will begin at approximately 10:30pm AEST.
For the first time since 1994, the team time trial will be run at the UCI Road World Championships and I couldn’t be happier. Finally, the UCI has had the balls to put a fantastic event back on the schedule, albeit in a slightly different format.
The Team Time Trial was first run as an event at the World Championships in Salo, Italy in 1962. The inaugural men’s race was won by the home country, with Italy’s team of Mario Maino, Antonio Tagliani, Dino Zandegu and Danilo Grassi beating Denmark and Uruguay to claim gold. The first women’s TTT took place in 1987 in Villach, Austria. That time, the Soviet Union defeated the United States and Italy.
Since 1962, the TTT was held on every non-Olympic year, the only exceptions being 1963 (when no event was run) and 1964 when a 100km team mountains race was held, until 1994 when it was unceremoniously dumped from the schedule. Since then, we’ve had some great spectacles in the road race and time trial, but trying to judge the best country has been difficult because no team test against the clock has featured.
Unfortunately, even with the reintroduction, we still won’t know which country has the best team, as the format is set to be reintroduced as a competition between the Pro Teams for both men and women. 6 riders will compete for each team, covering 53.2km for the men and 32km for women, with 32 Pro, Pro Continental and Continental teams competing in the men’s and 12 in the women’s events. Its a pity its trade teams though, as I reckon Australia would go awfully close to winning it, as they would have for the past few years.
Still, it’s great to see this event back in, but picking a winner is tough. My initial thoughts floated towards Sky Procycling, who will call heavily upon Chris Froome, Michael Rogers, Richie Porte and Geraint Thomas. But in the absence of Bradley Wiggins and with Froome having just completed his second top 5 finish at a Grand Tour this year, I think it might be asking a bit much.
3 teams have dominated the team time trials at the various stage races this year: Garmin-Sharp, Orica-GreenEDGE and Omega Pharma-Quick Step. Garmin-Sharp bring in a strong team but lack the potency of Giro d’Italia winner Ryder Hesjedal. Still they’ll be spearheaded by David Millar, Andrew Talansky (who had a brilliant Vuelta), Jack Bauer and Johann “Summie” Vansummeren. They also won the TTT’s at the Giro d’Italia, Tour of Qatar and Tour of Utah, so they have tasted success in the discipline this year.
Orica-GreenEDGE will also be fielding a very strong team, lead-up by reigning the Under 23 World Time Trial Champion, Luke Durbridge, and National Time Trial Champion Cameron Meyer. Add names like Hepburn, Lancaster, Tuft and Langeveld and the Aussie team will be very tough to beat. They dominated the TTT’s at the Tirreno-Adriatico and Eneco Tour and will be out looking for gold once agin.
Omega Pharma-Quick Step will also be in contention for a medal, headed up by Tony Martin, reigning World Time Trial Champion. Martin had an incredible year in 2011, breaking Cancellara’s stranglehold on the race of truth. He’s been much less convincing in 2012, owing to injury, illness and the Team Sky juggernaut that’s seen them net plenty of TT wins. They will, however, have one of the deepest teams in the field, being able to call upon national time trial champions Sylvain Chavanel (France), Martin again (Germany), Peter Velits (Slovakia), Kristof Vandewalle (Belgium) and Dario Cataldo (Italy). Couple that win the experience and massive engine of Burt Grabsch, himself a form world champ against the clock and you have a recipe for a great performance.
It’s a trick decision then. Additionally, you can’t count out teams like BMC, who will field American guns Tejay Van Garderen and Taylor Phinney, RadioShack-Nissan, FDJ-BigMat or Rabobank, all of which are capable of pulling out a great performance. It’s going to be a great spectacle and the course, which has been described as very technical, undulating and incorporates some of the famous Ardennes climbs, should play a big part in who wins.
hamleyn
Roar Guru
That's all from me, folks! I'm off to bed as I need to catch at least some shut-eye for my day-job. Hope you enjoyed following The Roar's coverage of the Team Time Trial from Limburg, The Netherlands. I have to say that this format has some potential in the future and is a good way to kick off the week's racing. Take care and see you soon.
hamleyn
Roar Guru
Omega Pharma-Quick Step lead at every intermediate check on the course but were always threatened by BMC Racing Team. If not for Taylor Phinney struggling up the final climb and dropping off the back, it could quite easily have been BMC's gold medal. Alas, it wasn't. A brilliant team effort by OPQ, who finished with all 6 riders and were incredibly strong. They rolled turns with precision and genuinely destroyed that course. Orica-GreenEDGE did a good job to grab bronze. They've had a wonderful debut season so far and it could get better later in the week as they have some pretty strong prospects in the Road Race as well. Liquigas-Cannondale were the surprise of the day. Only the very final few teams managed to knock off the early pacesetters and the men in lime green did an admirable job to finish 4th. Rabobank will be rueing a costly finish. Similarly to BMC, they fell apart up the final climb, which cost them vital seconds and possible 4th place overall.
hamleyn
Roar Guru
FINAL RESULTS GOLD. Omega Pharma-QuickStep: 1:03:17.17 SILVER. BMC Racing TEam: +3.16 BRONZE. Orica-GreenEDGE: +47.01 4. Liquigas-Cannondale: +1:04.73 5. Rabobank: +1:08.13 6. Movistar: +1:18.57 7. Katusha: +1:18.57 8. RadioShack-Nissan: +1:21.22 9. Sky Procycling: +1:32.21 10. Garmin-Sharp: +1:35.13
hamleyn
Roar Guru
But they sneak in. Orica-GreenEDGE finish 3rd, 47 seconds down, 17 in front of Liquigas. 49.9km/h. Great ride by the Aussie guys.
hamleyn
Roar Guru
With Sky well out of it, the battle for the medals will be decided when Orica-GreenEDGE finishes. Unlikely to be a gold or silver but could finish in bronze. Going to be very close against Liquigas.
hamleyn
Roar Guru
What a cruel finish for BMC! 3.1 seconds was the final gap. Omega Pharma-Quick Step will win gold. Had Phinney not dropped back up the Cauberg there, they may have won the race. What a fantastic race though. Very very close between the two teams over 53.2km. Meanwhile, Orica-GreenEDGE are coming up towards the line now. They were 28 seconds behind at the final check so I doubt they will be able to win gold but a medal is certainly possible.
hamleyn
Roar Guru
VERY VERY CLOSE! BMC are really flying and they need to fly up this final kilometre. Who will it be?!
hamleyn
Roar Guru
BMC have to keep pushing but they've dropped Phinney!! This isn't going to help them try to knock off OPQ. Phinney comes back to them but they lost precious seconds waiting around. Tejay Van Garderen looking very strong.
hamleyn
Roar Guru
This is going to be a ding-dong battle between OPQ and BMC. They're trading blows at the moment but OPQ still hold a slight edge. OPQ coming up to the finish now. They're blowing the field away! 1:03:17! 50.5km/h! Nearly 65 seconds faster than Liquigas. Finished with all 6 riders. What an incredible team effort!
hamleyn
Roar Guru
OPQ are now closing in on the finish with just a few kilometres to go. Garmin-Sharp just finishing now. 30.34 seconds behind Liquigas in 6th place. They'll be disappointed with that.
hamleyn
Roar Guru
Sky falling way back now. They're over a minute down at the final check, 12th fastest. Seems like their big season is finally catching up to them. All teams are now through the final time check. We should be done and dusted in the next 15 minutes or so.
hamleyn
Roar Guru
Winning time will probably be sub-64 minutes, which is pretty phenomenal on this course. Well over 50km/h average needed. RadioShack-Nissan finish 5th fastest at the end. Jensie looking pretty spent.
hamleyn
Roar Guru
Just missed Orica-GreenEDGE going through the final check. However, they still have 5 riders left so anything can still happen.
hamleyn
Roar Guru
Home team Rabobank are driving to the line now. They've just missed out on top spot, 3.3 seconds behind Liquigas.
hamleyn
Roar Guru
BMC Racing Team come through the final check at 38.2km and are putting in a good performance, just 8.79 seconds behind OPQ. Meanwhile, Rabobank are starting to disintergrate now. 2 guys have just dropped way back up the climb and things are starting to unravel. They need to get back together and get back into a rhythm if they want to put some respect back into the time.
hamleyn
Roar Guru
Getting down towards the business end of the race. Omega Pharma-Quick Step are looking the quickest at the moment. They still have all 6 riders left with around 10km to go. They lead at the final check by a huge margin with only a handfull teams behind them yet to register times.
hamleyn
Roar Guru
Movistar get close to Liquigas but ultimately fall just under 14 seconds short at the finish, slotting into second place. Meanwhile Omega Pharma-Quick Step have blitzed through the final check more than 40 seconds in front of Rabobank, averaging 50.8km/h so far!
hamleyn
Roar Guru
Garmin-Sharp go through the final check in 4th, 8 seconds down on Rabobank. The large time gaps that many were expecting have not eventuated. If anything, this race is going to be mighty close, with BMC, Liquigas, Rabobank, Omega Pharma-Quick Step, RadioShack-Nissan and Orica-GreenEDGE all around the mark.
hamleyn
Roar Guru
Saxo-TInkoff go 4th fastest, 43.56 seconds behind Liquigas-Cannondale. The men in lime green must have powered over the last 15km of the course.
hamleyn
Roar Guru
RadioShack-Nissan are 4th at the final check, 5 seconds down. Meanwhile, Sky have had a terrible start. They're well down in 10th spot at the second time check and don't look like they'll challenge.