Powerful Dutch team beat Cervelo Bigla and Rabo Liv in Sweden
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Boels Dolmans win Vargarda team time trial (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
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The podium (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
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Evie Stevens punches the air on the way to the podium (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
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Dani King (Wiggle High5) (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
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The Canyon-SRAM team about to pass an Alé Cipollini rider (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
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Rachele Barbieri (Cylance Pro Cycling) (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
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The Boels Dolmans team riding to the win (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
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The Canyon-SRAM team (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
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Team Liv-Plantur and the Norway team pass each other on course (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
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Riejanne Markus of Team Liv-Plantur (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
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The Hitec Products team (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
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Team BMS Birn during the TTT (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
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The Alé Cipollini squad on course (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
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The Canyon-SRAM team are ready to roll (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
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Wiggle High5 roll off the start ramp at the 42,5 km team time trial of the UCI Women's World Tour's 2016 Crescent Vårgårda Team Time Trial (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
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Joëlle Numainville takes the lead for Cervélo Bigla as they approach 500 metres to go at the 42,5 km team time trial of the UCI Women's World Tour's 2016 Crescent Vårgårda Team Time Trial (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
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Hannah Solovey (Parkhotel Valkenburg) approaches 500 metres to go at the 42,5 km team time trial of the UCI Women's World Tour's 2016 Crescent Vårgårda Team Time Trial (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
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Carmen Small (Cylance Pro Cycling) approaches 500 metres to go at the 42,5 km team time trial of the UCI Women's World Tour's 2016 Crescent Vårgårda Team Time Trial (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
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Hitec Products on the charge at the 42,5 km team time trial of the UCI Women's World Tour's 2016 Crescent Vårgårda Team Time Trial (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
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Rozanne Slik leads Liv Plantur on their way to ninth place at the 42,5 km team time trial of the UCI Women's World Tour's 2016 Crescent Vårgårda Team Time Trial (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
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CANYON//SRAM Racing speeding to fourth place at the 42,5 km team time trial of the UCI Women's World Tour's 2016 Crescent Vårgårda Team Time Trial (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
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Marianne Vos and her Rabo Liv teammates approach the finish on their way to third place at the 42,5 km team time trial of the UCI Women's World Tour's 2016 Crescent Vårgårda Team Time Trial (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
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Amy Pieters leads Wiggle High5 through the final corner at the 42,5 km team time trial of the UCI Women's World Tour's 2016 Crescent Vårgårda Team Time Trial (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
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Sheyla Gutierrez (Cylance Pro Cycling) warms up for the 42,5 km team time trial of the UCI Women's World Tour's 2016 Crescent Vårgårda Team Time Trial (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
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Boels Dolmans team talk ahead of the 42,5 km team time trial of the UCI Women's World Tour's 2016 Crescent Vårgårda Team Time Trial (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
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Olympic Road Race champion, Anna van der Breggen waits on the start ramp with her Rabo Liv teammates at the 42,5 km team time trial of the UCI Women's World Tour's 2016 Crescent Vårgårda Team Time Trial (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
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CANYON//SRAM Racing begin the 42,5 km team time trial of the UCI Women's World Tour's 2016 Crescent Vårgårda Team Time Trial (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
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Marianne Vos (Rabo Liv) waits patiently at the start of the 42,5 km team time trial of the UCI Women's World Tour's 2016 Crescent Vårgårda Team Time Trial (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
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Anna van der Breggen (NED) of Rabo-Liv Cycling Team takes a turn at the front during the 42,5 km team time trial of the UCI Women's World Tour's 2016 Crescent Vårgårda (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
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Evelyn Stevens (USA) and Katarzyna Pawlowska (POL) of Boels-Dolmans Cycling Team celebrate winning the 42,5 km team time trial of the UCI Women's World Tour's 2016 Crescent Vårgårda (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
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Second placed Cervélo-Bigla Cycling Team (L), winners Boels-Dolmans Cycling Team (M) and third placed Rabo-Liv Cycling Team (R) celebrate their places after the 42,5 km team time trial of the UCI Women's World Tour's 2016 Crescent Vårgårda (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
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Stephanie Pohl (Cervélo Bigla) relaxed ahead of their early start at the 42,5 km team time trial of the UCI Women's World Tour's 2016 Crescent Vårgårda Team Time Trial (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
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Cervélo Bigla charge off the start ramp at the 42,5 km team time trial of the UCI Women's World Tour's 2016 Crescent Vårgårda Team Time Trial (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
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Lotta Lepistö (Cervélo Bigla) at the 42,5 km team time trial of the UCI Women's World Tour's 2016 Crescent Vårgårda Team Time Trial (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
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Hannah Barnes warms up with her CANYON//SRAM Racing teammates at the 42,5 km team time trial of the UCI Women's World Tour's 2016 Crescent Vårgårda Team Time Trial (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
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Fans check the start list to see when their favourites are due on the start ramp at the 42,5 km team time trial of the UCI Women's World Tour's 2016 Crescent Vårgårda Team Time Trial (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
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Rabo Liv wait to be called to the start ramp at the 42,5 km team time trial of the UCI Women's World Tour's 2016 Crescent Vårgårda Team Time Trial (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
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Cervélo-Bigla Cycling Team dig deep during the 42,5 km team time trial (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
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Second-placed team Cervelo Bigla at Vargarda team time trial (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
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Defending champions Rabo Liv at the Vargarda team time trial, the finished third (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
The 42.5km route was held between the cities of Vargarda and Herrljunga. The teams started three minutes apart, travelled from Vargarda to Herrljunga before turning back along the same route. They tackled a smaller loop around Vargarda before heading back to the start-finish line.
Cervelo Bigla with Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio, Lotta Lepisto, Joelle Numainville, Stephanie Pohl Lisa Klein and Nicole Hanselmann had the fastest split through the first time check in 19:18, six seconds faster than Boels Dolmans, 32 seconds faster than Rabo Liv and 50 seconds faster than Canyon-SRAM.
“We arrived last Sunday because this is one of the most important events for us of the year,” Cervelo Bigla manager Thomas Campana said. “We have a major sponsor in Cervélo who makes the fastest bikes in the world and we have to commit on these high expectations. From Monday morning we trained on the course. Unfortunately, we got the first starting spot of the day so we had to go all or nothing. It was important to put pressure at the first split with a good time and that worked well."
Their blistering opening efforts might have cost them a little in the end as Boels Dolmans with road world champion Lizzie Armitstead, Chantal Blaak, Evelyn Stevens, Karol Ann Canuel, Ellen Van Dijk and Katarzyna Pawlowska came through with the fastest time at the second intermediate check in 37:52. They were ahead of teams Cervelo Bigla, Rabo Liv and Canyon-SRAM, which is the same order of the top-five teams at the finish line.
Third-placed team, Rabo Liv, that won the team time trial last year, fielded gold medallist in the road race and bronze in the time trial in Rio Anna van der Breggen, Shara Gillow, Marianne Vos, Roxane Knetemann, Anouska Koster and Moniek Tenniglo but the team was not strong enough to against the powerful Boels Dolmans or Cervelo Bigla.
Boels Dolmans will no doubt have their goals set on the team time trial world championships in Doha, Qatar in October.
Riders speak of the smells, lack of colour and sadness of the decimated areas
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