UCI Road World Championships 2011: Elite Women time trial

Hello and welcome to the Cyclingnews live coverage of the Elite women time trial event from Copenhagen.

The weather is cloudy but so far dry in Copenhagen but rain is threatening to fall. That could make for a very interesting time trial.

Rhae-Christie Shaw of Canada currently has the fastest time, setting 37:46 for the 27.8km course.

Some umbrellas are starting to appear along the course. It if rains significantly, this could dramatically change the out come of the race.

Canada's Clara hughes is currently fastest at half way out on the course. She has a time of 18:28.

The rain is really going to affect the riders. They will have to be much more careful on the corners.

Clara Hughes has also blasted through the 20.6km time check and is 12 seconds ahead.

The fastest three riders have to stay in the podium area at the finish and sit on the top three hot seats. Unfortunately the cold weather means they need blankets and coats to stay warm.

Leire Olaberria Dorronsoro (Spain) sets off but she will be racing in the rain all the way to the finish.

Elisa Longo Borghini (Italy) starts too. The riders set off at 90 second intervals.

Nontasin Chanpeng (Thailand) finishes with a time of 41:06 and is currently tenth.

Ashleigh Moolman (South Africa) starts in a few minutes. She is tipped as an outsider.

Julia Shaw (Great Britain) goes third fastest with an excellent time of 38:57.

She finished 1:10 behind Rhae-Christie Shaw (Canada).

Here comes Clara hughes.

The Canadian takes the lead with a time of 37:44.

She took the lead by just 2.44 seconds.

She's directed to the hot seat and will have to watch to see if anyone can beat her time in the rain.

Ina Teutenberg (Germany) is the next starter.

Pia Sundstedt (Finland) finishes with the fifth fastest time of 39:08.

The city centre course is slick, with lots of road markings and even cobbles.

Pascale Schnider (Switzerland) starts, as Clara hughes takes centre spot on the hot seat. She's cleverly brought a flask with her. She'll need it.

We can confirm from the Cyclingnews blimp that the weather is getting worse over Copenhagen. The rain is closing in and the clouds are getting lower.

Shara Gillow of Australia is fourth fastest at the first split, 12 seconds slower. We will see how the poorer weather conditions affect her chances.

Eleonora Van Dijk (Netherlands) is also riding well in the rain. She is third fastest at the first split, just 7 seconds down.

Evelyn Stevens (United States Of America) is only tenth at the first time split. She is already 18 seconds down.

Shara Gillow (Australia) holds her fourth fastest time at the second split.

Alexandra Burchenkova (Russian) almost lost it there on a cobbled corner.

Teutenberg hits the second time split (half way) with a time of 18:51. She is 23 seconds off the pace.

Eleonora Van Dijk (Netherlands) is producing a great ride in the rain, setting the second fastest time after one of the two laps. 

She set a time of 18:33.68.

Stevens (USA) sets a split time of 18:59 She is seventh fastest.

The final group of riders, including most of the big favourites, are about to start. Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (France) is next off.

Emma Pooley (Great Britain) is last off today.

Noemi Cantele (Italy) is off as Longo Borghini finishes in 13th place.

Van Dijk is flying and is just four seconds off the pace, despite the rain.

Ashleigh Moolman (South Africa) suffered in the rain and may even have suffered a mechanical problem. She sets a time of 40:14.

Marianne Vos (Netherlands) is about to set off. Can she add a TT title to  her many other accolades?

Shara Gillow (Australia) finishes with a time of 38:07 to take third fastest so far.

Vos sprints up to speed. She could be good on the technical and wet course.

Teutenberg finishes, with an excellent 38:03, taking third place for now. That was a great ride in the rain.

Judith Arndt (Germany) is off soon. She looks tense, angry and ready to race.

Emilia Fahlin (Sweden) is only seventh fastest at the first split with 8:40. 

Here comes Van Dijk.

She sets a time of 38:46. 2.09 seconds slower than Clara Hughes.

Clara hughes (Canada) can rightly smile on the hot seat.

Amber Neben (United States Of America) sets off in the rain. Just Arndt and Pooley left to go.

Arndt quickly pushes a big gear up to speed.

Evelyn Stevens (United States Of America) finishes but is only seventh with 38:29.

Emma Pooley starts, meaning all the riders are now on the course.

Neben is third fastest at the first check.

Vos was aggressive but only eighth at the first split.

Linda Melanie Villumsen (New Zealand) is looking good.

She set a half-way time of 18:30.38, just a second slower than Hughes. Can she hold that pace in the rain?

Vos is off the pace, with a time of 18:54 for the first lap.

Pooley was fourth at the first split. She might suffer in the rain but is putting up a fight.

Canada's Tara Whitten isalso gonig well. She is third fastest with 18:33 after a lap. 

Arndt is coming up to the first lap time split.

is she faster?

No. She is second faster, just 1.51 seconds down. Can she keept it going?

Pooley sets a time of 18:29. less than a second behind hughes. This is going to be a close battle for the world title.

Amber Naben (USA) was seventh at the half-way point, 8 seconds down. Can she lift her game in the final lap and join the fight for the medals? Maybe. 

Linda Melanie Villumsen (New Zealand) is also in the mix. She is so far fastest at the third split.

The rain has eased but the roads are still wet.

Noemi Cantele (Italy) finishes with a time that gets here in the top ten.

Whitten is coming in and sets a time of 37:33 and snatches the best time from her fellow Canadian. Wow.

She was only third fastest at the last split but finished well.

Linda Melanie Villumsen (New Zealand). She gets it with a time of 37:29.

She raced for Denmark before changing nationality and so gets a huge cheer.

Arndt is fastest at the third time split.

Vos finishes only seventh. She won't be happy.

Pooley is slightly off the pace now. Arndt is clsoe to finishing. Can she snatch it?

Emma Johansson (Sweden) stops the clock with 8:05. 11th place for now.

Amber Neben (United States Of America) is next in.

she sets a time of 37:48, for sixth so far. 

Here's Arndt. How will she salute a victory ride?

Arndt is fastest 37:07. That is 21 second faster than Linda Melanie Villumsen (New Zealand).

She hugs her soigneur and teammate Ina Teutenberg.

Emma Pooley (Great Britain) finishes in a time of 37:31, that gives her the bronze medal behind Arndt and Villumsen. 

Judith Ardnt can finally celebrate being world time trial champion.

She set a time of 37:07.38.

Linda Villumsen (New Zealand) was second with 37:29.11.
Emma Pooley (Great Britain) was third with 37:31.51, while Canada's Tara Whitten (37:33.54) and Clara Hughes (37:44.17) finished fourth and fifth.

That's it from today's Cyclingnews live coverage. We're going to land the blimp carefully and get it ready for Wednesday's elite men time trial.

Provisional Results:

1.Judith Arndt (Germany) 37:07.38
2.Linda Villumsen (New Zealand) 37:29.11
3.Emma Pooley (Great Britain) 37:31.51
4.Tara Whitten (Canada) 37:33.54
5.Clara Hughes (Canada) 37:44.17
6.Eleonara Van Dijk (Netherlands) 37:46.26
7.Rhae-Christe Shaw (Canada) 37:46.41
8.Amber Neben (USA) 37:48.47
9.Emilia Fahlin (Sweden) 38:02.44
10.Marianne Vos (Netherlands) 38:03.15

Join us tomorrow for action from the UCI World Championships.