Welcome to the 2010 World Road Cycling Championships at Geelong Victoria. The big news of the day was Alberto Contador A and B samples testing positive for Clenbeuterol?
But we are here for the Elites Men Time Trial over 45.8kms around Geelong. With both Mick Rogers and Richie Porte in good form can Fabian Cancellara give him a run for his money?
The weather of course has to play a part in today’s time trial. It was warm early in the morning, I wasn’t expecting any rain but the last straight before the final 350 meters the riders rode straight into a headwind.
Fabian, in pre race questions, stated that riders will need to start slow over the first last before going vol bok (yes that’s blemish) in the final lap.
The course was 22.7 kms in length and there are two checkpoints on the course and the riders left in groups of ten with 40minutes between groups to allow the last rider to finish.
Without the use of race radios, riders are kept in form via loud speaker from the team cars following. The riders left in groups of ten with James Weekes (Saint Kitts and Nevis) being the first out of the starting house.
Gordon Mccauley (New Zealand) left the starting ramp with encouragement from the strong New Zealand contingent in the crowd. Although the New Zealander lost 9 minutes on his first lap suffering greatly.
Over the first lap Jos? Ivan Gutierrez Palacios (Spain) posted the fastest time in the first lap and second lap to be in the hot seat posting a time of 1:01:51 with the second group now setting off.
Vladimir Gusev (Russian Federation) after his first lap has smashed Palacios time over the first lap by nearly two minutes.
At the second time check Sylvain Chavanel (France) has posted the third fastest time and Gusev has set the second quickest time after the first lap.
Jack Bauer (New Zealand), or as I told the rest of the BNA guys, Jack from 24, (no he’s not -ed) posted the fastest time over the first time check. And will post the quickest time from group two.
Russian Gusev, we have to mention has posted the fastest time on the course and moves into the hot seat at 1:01:36, can the big guns Porte, Cancellara and Millar break the one hour mark?
Alex Rasmussen (Denmark) in the third group has gone through the first checkpoint in the fastest time. He was looking good on the bike, smooth and fast.
The only Australian to win an Elite Men’s Time Trial Rainbow jersey Mick Rogers is about to start his race of truth.
Chavanel has come across the line in fifth.
One of my favorites Luis Leon Sanchez has gone through the first checkpoint in the fastest time with Rogers chasing Sanchez down. Sanchez lost further time in the second section of the course but kicked again and put down the fastest time for the first lap.
Rogers was determined and came through with every Australian yelling at him, and beat Sanchez time over the first lap by 5 seconds. Sanchez put out some more power and took the lead back from Rogers over the first section of the course. In the latter part of the course Rogers has gone through ahead of Sanchez by 24 seconds. We have a real race here!
Rogers gained 23 seconds over Sanchez over the last section of the course and it’s a race to the line for them both. Whose legs can hang on? Rogers vs Sanchez, Sanchez vs Rogers, Rogers is aiming to set the fastest time.
Spartacus, Swiss rider Fabian Cancellara is about to start his pilgrimage to being immortal and winning another Time Trial gold (ok that was a bit much).
Rogers crossed the line to a deafening cheer from the Aussie crowd to set the fastest time at 1:00:34 but he didn’t break the 1 hour mark. I took a quick poll from the BNA guys what would Cancellara’s time be, 57 to 58 minutes was what we expected.
Not surprisingly the last group of riders, the favorites, were the fastest on the course, with David Millar (Great Britain) taking the fastest time over the second section.
Tony Martin, started strongly and looked to take the fastest time over the first lap, until he had to stop for a wheel change. It is still not clear whether his tire came off the rim or he flatted.
Australian Richie Porte, can he do it?
Millar is going out strong as expected, and is riding an incredible race, smashing Rogers time, with Richie Porte is out on the course and riding well currently in second position behind Millar and Cancellara in third, c’mon Ritchie!!
After the first lap Cancellara has set the quickest time, Millar now in second and Ritchie in third. It’s a real race between Cancellara and Millar and Ritchie and Millar.
Millar comes through the last section quicker than Cancellara, with Ritchie pushing for third ahead of Rogers. It’s very close and tension is building in the crowd. What’s astounding is Martins ride after his tire change has posted the fastest times in the last check point, Ritchie is down on Millar but up on Martin.
Then as it is the way, Cancellara has pushed even harder as he is able to do to get the lead and put time into Millar, until he almost went down and had a moment at the temporary bridge with Millar regaining lost time.
Richie got a huge cheer from the crowd, his mouth wide open, eyes focused on the corner, his full concentration on the last 350 meters and is narrowly ahead of Martin.
Millar has gone across the line and taken the lead , Cancellara is racing for gold, Martin and Ritchie are racing for bronze.
Martin crosses the line only 10 seconds slower than Millar, without the tire change, he may have won today’s time trial.
Porte has crossed the line in fourth only 6 seconds behind Martin, a great race from the young Australian he showed he is world class!
In the last 500 meters, Fabian looked over his shoulder, as if to let everyone know he had done enough and went across the line winning by just over a minute on Millar.
So the results are Fabian Cancellara again winning his fourth Elite Mens gold medal, with David Millar taking silver and Tony Martin getting bronze.
Winner Fabian Cancellara four finger salute
Results of the 2010 UCI World Championships Elite Mens Time Trial:
1 Fabian Cancellara (Switzerland) 0:58:09
2 David Millar (Great Britain) 0:59:11
3 Tony Martin (Germany) 0:59:21
4 Richie Porte (Australia) 0:59:28
5 Michael Rogers (Australia) 1:00:34
6 Koos Moerenhout (Netherlands) 1:00:49
7 Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Spain) 1:00:53
8 David Zabriskie (United States Of America) 1:01:00
9 Maciej Bodnar (Poland) 1:01:09
10 Gustav Larsson (Sweden) 1:01:10
11 Bert Grabsch (Germany) 1:01:15
12 Ignatas Konovalovas (Lithuania) 1:01:16
13 Vladimir Gusev (Russian Federation) 1:01:36
14 Carlos Oyarzun (Chile) 1:01:39
15 Nicolas Vogondy (France) 1:01:48
16 Andriy Grivko (Ukraine) 1:01:49
17 Jos? Ivan Gutierrez Palacios (Spain) 1:01:51
18 Alex Rasmussen (Denmark) 1:01:54
19 Sylvain Chavanel (France) 1:02:09
20 Janez Brajkovic (Slovenia) 1:02:13
21 Artem Ovechkin (Russian Federation) 1:02:16
22 Dmitriy Fofonov (Kazakhstan) 1:02:20
23 Jack Bauer (New Zealand) 1:02:26
24 Tejay Van Garderen (United States Of America) 1:02:50
25 David Mccann (Ireland) 1:03:01
26 Svein Tuft (Canada) 1:03:04
27 Martin Velits (Slovakia) 1:03:09
28 Raivis Belohvosciks (Latvia) 1:03:24
29 Matias Medici (Argentina) 1:03:26
30 Kanstantin Siutsou (Belarus) 1:03:32
31 Michael Morkov (Denmark) 1:03:33
32 Peter Velits (Slovakia) 1:03:35
33 Tanel Kangert (Estonia) 1:03:39
34 Andrey Zeits (Kazakhstan) 1:03:42
35 Dominique Cornu (Belgium) 1:03:45
36 Jos Van Emden (Netherlands) 1:03:56
37 Jay Robert Thomson (South Africa) 1:05:08
38 Jaroslaw Marycz (Poland) 1:05:33
39 Gordon Mccauley (New Zealand) 1:05:55
40 Esad Hasanovic (Serbia) 1:07:11
41 Reginald Douglas (Saint Kitts and Nevis) 1:21:00
42 James Weekes (Saint Kitts and Nevis) 1:21:58
Photos : Sirotti
