Klöden looking to a top 8 finish in TT

"The world's time trial course is good for me," said T-Mobile's Andreas Klöden. His goal is "a place in the top eight. But I think that won't be easy, in light of the competition." The favourites include his teammate and three-time champion Michael Rogers, Fabian Cancellara, and Vuelta winner Alexander Vinokourov (if he starts). "But also Sebastian Lang has specially trained for this and won the time trial in the 3-Länder Tour. He has the necessary power to be among the top finishers."

Klöden himself was fourth in that 3-Länder Tour time trial. He called it "a final endurance test, which was important when looking to the World's. That it wasn't enough for a podium place, is surely because of the fact that I had ridden hard the day before and used up too much power. On Saturday I dropped out of the race on purpose, in order to have a few days before the world's to recuperate."