Giant-Shimano will be hoping that Tom Dumoulin and Tobias Ludvigsson can help the team post a top-ten result in the World Championships team time trial on Saturday in Ponferrada, Spain.
Dumoulin, the Dutch national time trial champion, has won four races against the clock this year including his national title and will be a key cog for the team as it looks to improve upon its 14th place at last year's Worlds in Florence. Ludvigsson, who won the final day time trial at the Etoile de Bessèges, will also be called upon to help the team throughout the 57.1km course due to his experience of racing against the clock.
"Everybody is coming into this race after good preparation," said coach Adriaan Helmantel of the six-rider team. "Either in Britain, Canada or in Spain. The guys coming from Canada may be a bit jet lagged but they should be well recovered by Sunday."
Nikias Arndt and Chad Haga, who both recently completed the Vuelta a Espana, have also been selected for the team.
"The guys coming here from the Vuelta all finished the race in a good way," Helmantel added. "After a Grand Tour you usually don't feel very fresh but are very strong, and that is good for a team time trial."
Giant-Shimano have never won a team time trial event but Helmantel is confident his team have improved in the discipline and will be capable of posting a competitive time. The team was the sixth fastest on the opening stage of the Vuelta and that performance will be a benchmark for Saturday's race.
"We have shown progression in this discipline this year, coming on from 17th in Tirreno, to ninth at the Giro then sixth at the Vuelta," Helmantel said. "I am confident we can make another step here this year, but the most important is the process rather than the result.
"This discipline is becoming more important for us in stage races now and it is important for the team to keep developing here."
Giant-Shimano for the World Championships Team Time Trial: Nikias Arndt, Tom Dumoulin, Chad Haga, Marcel Kittel, Tobias Ludvigsson and Georg Preidler.
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