Velocio-SRAM win fourth consecutive team time trial World Championships
Velocio-SRAM won their fourth consecutive team time trial World Championship today in Richmond, USA. The team crossed the line in a time of 47:35 to beat Boels Dolman by 6 seconds and RaboLiv by 56 seconds.
Velocio-SRAM had the fastest time at the first two intermediate time checks, narrowly ahead of Boels Dolman. It became clear it would be between these two teams for the first gold medal on offer at the UCI Road Cycling World Championships. At the third and final intermediate time check, the Dutch team had turned the tables on Velocio-SRAM to lead by just over three seconds. In an amazing team effort, and calculated tactics by Sports Director Ronny Lauke, Velocio-SRAM was able to regain the lead on the final climb to take victory in downtown Richmond.
German rider Trixi Worrack has been part of every winning team time trial World Championship team since the discipline has returned to the World Championships four years ago in 2012. Matching her feat is Ronny Lauke who has been the Sports Director of the winning team for the last four years. Lauke said “The girls were very impressive today. They rode incredible.”
Defending individual time trial World Champion and now three-time team time trial World Champion Lisa Brennauer said “I’m so excited that we could win this race. We knew our opponents were getting stronger and stronger each year. You saw in Sweden World Cup when we lost and the results were so close. We knew we would have to fight to the finish to win here in Richmond. Our Sports Director Ronny Lauke was giving us the intermediate times throughout the race. In the last 3 kilometres he just kept saying that we have to fight and we have to give everything and that we can win this. My teammates and I are very happy.”
The winning team was Trixi Worrack, Barbara Guarischi, Mieke Kröger, Karol-Ann Canuel, Alena Amialiusik and Barbara Guarischi.
BMC Racing Team Repeats As World Champions
The BMC Racing Team led through every time check Sunday on the way to capturing its second straight UCI world team time trial championship.
Powering its BMC timemachine TM01s through the streets of Richmond, Virginia, the BMC Racing Team averaged 54.969 kilometers an hour to best Etixx-Quick Step by 11.35 seconds. Movistar Team finished third, 30.11 seconds off the winning time of 42:07.97.
Members of the winning team were Rohan Dennis, Silvan Dillier, Stefan Küng, Daniel Oss, Taylor Phinney, Manuel Quinziato.
Phinney, who only recently returned to racing after being sidelined by a major injury for 62 weeks, called it “a nearly perfect” performance.
“Everybody was really impressive today, but Rohan Dennis absolutely carried us,” Phinney said. “He is kind of on another level. But it was great that all six of us stayed together until close to the end. I tried to be conservative in the beginning and then give it some gas toward the finish. But that is always easier said than done.”
Dennis, Dillier, Oss and Quinziato won their second gold medals after being part of last year’s team. Peter Velits, who was part of the winning team time trial squad in 2012, 2013 and 2014, was the team’s first alternate.
“Peter would easily fit into anybody else’s team and he was gracious enough to come here knowing he would be the reserve,” Phinney said. “He was really helpful for us as a road captain in training.”
Dennis, winner of the opening time trial at this year’s Tour de France and a past holder of the world hour record, said the victory was even better than last year.
“Last year when we won, it was a bit of a surprise to a lot of people,” Dennis said. “To win again really puts our mark on the team time trial on a world level. It is pretty big for BMC.”
In addition to winning on Sunday, the BMC Racing Team also captured team time trials at the Vuelta a España, the Tour de France and the Critérium du Dauphiné this year.
BMC Racing Team Trainer Marco Pinotti said he was initially worried the squad started too fast. At the first time check at 10 km, the BMC Racing Team led Etixx-Quick Step by nearly four seconds, ORICA-GreenEDGE by nearly five and Movistar Team by almost nine.
“It was fast and I did not expect to be that much in front of the other teams,” Pinotti said. “The hardest part was the last part, with a headwind and a slight uphill. The guys kept riding hard and lost a bit. But the other teams were losing even more time. I was sure it was going to be close. When it is close, it is not only about the skill and form, it is about mental strength. The guys kept their focus and this a big achievement.”
