World champion Tony Martin (Omega Pharma-Quickstep) gets ready to take off for the prologue(Image credit: Sirotti)
Time trial world champion Tony Martin (Omega Pharma-QuickStep)(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Judith Arndt with another German title(Image credit: AFP Photo)
Judith Arndt (Orica-GreenEdge) on her way to the German title(Image credit: AFP Photo)
The 2012 German time trial podium: Trixi Worrack, Judith Arndt and Ina Teutenberg(Image credit: AFP Photo)
World time trial champions Tony Martin and Judith Arndt are also German champions. Both won the national titles Friday in Grimma. It was Martin's second title and Arndt's eighth.
Martin covered the 40.6km in 47:21, beating last year's winner and Omega Pharma-QuickStep teammate Bert Grabsch. Lars Teutenberg, 41, was the surprise third man on the podium.
“Today we tested my position and fortunately everything worked out fine. I feel well prepared for the Tour de France and the Olympics,” said Martin, reported Radsport-News.com.
Grabsch, a former world champion, said that he was satisfied and “that I still haven't called up 100 percent of my performance potential. I can look forward optimistically.”
For Arndt it was the newest addition to her collection of national titles, both in the road race, time trial and on the track. The 35-year-old put in a time of 44:28 over the 34.6 kilometers, with Trixi Worrack and Ina-Yoko Teutenberg finished second and third, well back.
“Of course I am happy to have defended my title, but going all out for 44 minutes always hurts,” she said.
The biggest loser of the day was Hanka Kupfernagel, the 2007 world time trial champion. She crashed and finished only sixth, which is expected to knock her out of contention for a spot on the German Olympic team.
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