Southern California’s Amber Neben (BePink) and Brandon McNulty (LUX-Stradling p/b Specialized) have won the Elite Women’s and Junior Men’s World Championship at the 2016 UCI Road World Championships in Doha, Qatar.
This is Neben’s second time winning the UCI Time Trial World Championship. The 41-year-old American edged out Dutch Ellen van Dijk and Australia’s Katrin Garfoot, who took the silver and the bronze respectively. The top three finished within a ten second-margin.
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After two laps in The Pearl totalling 28.9 kilometres, Neben crossed the finish line in 36:37.04, averaging more than 47 kilometres per hour. At age 41 she became the second oldest Women Elite ITT World Champion, after Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli, who claimed the title aged 42 in 2001.
Brandon McNulty followed in the footsteps of compatriot Taylor Phinney, when he won the Men’s Junior Individual Time Trial at the UCI Road World Championships Doha 2016. Denmark took silver with Mikkel Bjerg, and McNulty’s compatriot Ian Garrison added more silverware to the American success winning bronze.
McNulty, who took bronze on home soil in Richmond in 2015, saw last year’s gold and silver medallists Leo Appelt (GER) and Adrien Costa (USA) respectively, progress to the Under 23 ranks, and conquered the second American gold medal in this event after Phinney prevailed in 2007.
Starting last from the ramp, McNulty left no doubts on The Pearl circuit. The American set the fastest intermediate times in all sections to finish the 28.9 km course in 34:42.29, averaging 49.964 kilometres per hour. “I’m from Arizona, so I’m used to the heat. I conserved my energy initially and started pushing hard from the 10th minute. From then on, it was all or nothing for me. I’m so glad I won,” McNulty said.
