BMC, Etixx-Quick Step and Orica GreenEdge to start as favourites in men's event
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Rohan Dennis on the front of the BMC team time trial squad at Dauphine.(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
Team BMC won the opening TTT(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Michael Hepburn, Simon Clarke, Luke Durbridge and Esteban Chaves on the podium for Orica GreenEdge(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Orica GreenEdge ride to silver in the Worlds TTT(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Chris Froome at the back of the Team Sky train
Warming up at the Etixx-Quick Step bus(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Etixx-Quickstep missing Tony Martin in the TTT, lost 45 seconds
Evelyn Stevens (Boels Dolmans) pushes the pace at the start of the bell lap(Image credit: Emory Ball/Cyclingnews.com)
Lisa Brennauer on the stage 5 podium(Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Ellen van Dijk (Boels Dolmans)(Image credit: Bert Geerts/dcp-bertgeerts@xs4all.nl)
Tiffany Cromwell staying the bunch(Image credit: Mark Gunter)
The UCI has published a provisional start list of nine-riders for the 28 teams that will take part in the elite men's World Championships team time trial on Saturday, September 20, in Richmond, Virginia.
Having finished third and second twice in the first three events since the discipline was reintroduced in 2012, Orica GreenEdge named a strong team in its attempt to claim the gold medal. Tejay van Garderen is the only rider missing from the roster of defending champions BMC due to injury.
Since 2012, Etixx-QuickStep, Orica GreenEdge, Team Sky and BMC are the only teams to medal in the event.
The men will compete on the same course as the women, who will race earlier in the morning on Sunday. The 38.8km course is mostly flat and fast with a mere 240 metre elevation gain. Not far from the finish the riders make a sharp right turn onto Governor street in downtown Richmond and are greeted with a 300 metre climb before a sharp left, hitting the false flat 680 metre finishing stretch.
The defending world champions, BMC Racing, will once again be the favourites returning with a powerhouse squad. The team has been consistent throughout the season, winning both the team time trial stages at the Vuelta a Espana and the Tour de France, though both were won by a second or less. Besides those riders returning from last year, the team also has Taylor Phinney, Philip Gilbert and Greg Van Avermaet to chose from.
Team Sky will be without Geraint Thomas, who was originally on the roster before announcing this week he is skipping Worlds and ending his season early due to fatigue. Thomas has been a member of the team time trial squad for the past two years. This leaves only Salvatore Puccio and Vasil Kiryienka as previous members of the Worlds team.
Elia Viviani is on good form but has not raced many team time trials this season, while Danny Pate competed at the Canadian World Tour races races but did not finish either one. Luke Rowe also chose to race in Canada and will likely be part of the final six chosen, having been a part of the Tour de France team time trial squad that finished second.
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Orica GreenEdge are hungry for a world title after coming so close the past three years. The Australian-based team includes four riders from last year’s squad – Luke Durbridge, Michael Hepburn, Damien Howson, and Svein Tuft – but added Michael Matthews, who returned to Canada for Worlds preparation after his injury at the Tour de France. Matthews will likely make the cut having been a part of the winning TTT squad at the Giro d’Italia in May, though he has announced his focus is on the road race.
Two-time champions Etixx-Quick Step have revealed the final six-man team for Sunday's race. Four from the six 2014 team are returning, with Rigoberto Uran and Yves Lampaert rounding out the squad. Belgians Pieter Serry and Julien Vermonte are both listed on the UCI start lists for the team but were not included in the team announcement for those heading to Richmond.
In the women's event, Velocio-SRAM will be looking to go out with a bang and take their fourth straight World team time trial title. Individual title holder Lisa Brennauer is the key rider in the nine-woman long-list. Tiffany Cromwell, Barbera Guarischi and Trixi Worrack are also among the nine named. They'll face some tough competition from the Rabo Liv Women's Team, Boels Dolmans and the Orica-AIS squad. Boels Dolmans bring some serious firepower with former time trial world champion Ellen Van Dijk and Evelyn Stevens - both former TTT champions with Specialized-Lululemon - and recent World Cup winner Lizzie Armitstead.
Etixx-Quick Step final six: Tom Boonen (Bel), Tony Martin (Ger), Niki Terpstra (Ned), Michał Kwiatkowski (Pol), Rigoberto Uran (Col, and Yves Lampaert (Bel).
Orica GreenEdge for the team time trial: Michael Albasini (Sui), Sam Bewley (NZl), Luke Durbridge (Aus), Michael Hepburn (Aus), Damien Howson (Aus), Daryl Impey (Rsa), Michael Matthews (Aus), Jens Mouris (Ned) and Svein Tuft (Can).
BMC long list for team time trial: Rohan Dennis (Aus), Silvan Dillier (Sui), Philippe Gilbert (Bel), Stefan Küng (Sui), Daniel Oss (Ita), Taylor Phinney (USA), Manuel Quinziato (Ita), Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) and Peter Velits (Svk).
Team Sky: Vasil Kiryienka (Blr), Leopold König (Cze), Danny Pate (USA), Salvatore Puccio (Ita), Nicolas Roche (Irl), Luke Rowe (Gbr), Ian Stannard (Gbr) and Elia Viviani (Ita).
