HTC-Highroad breaks dry spell in TTT

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The HTC-Highroad women succeeded in winning the team time trial World Cup race in Vargarda, Sweden for the first time in the team's history.

The team consisting of Judith Arndt, Charlotte Becker, Emilia Fahlin, Amber Neben, Ina-Yoko Teutenberg and Ellen Van Dijk bested the next fastest team by 1:44 on the 42.5km course.

HTC-Highroad had placed second to three-time winners Cervelo each year in the event's history, but this time the Garmin-Cervélo squad could manage only third behind second placed AA Drink-Leontien.nl. Australia took fourth.

"We've been close several times here, three times second in previous years, and this time we finally got the win so we're very pleased," said HTC-Highroad team manager Ronny Lauke, "The whole team did a great job, they were amazing. We were already thirty-five seconds ahead of the rest of the field at the first checkpoint so that was really motivating because that was where we'd lost time last year.

"But we kept our feet on the ground and concentrated on keeping ahead of the field and I think we finally finished about ninety seconds ahead of the next squad."

The team had gotten special instructions on the race from Teutenberg's brother Lars, and had done specific training at the team's camp. Having national champions Arndt (Germany) and Fahlin (Sweden), as well as former world champion Neben on the team certainly helped.

"Everything worked out fine today day, no incidents of any kind, but there's been a lot of hard work behind the scenes too."

The result doesn't change the standings in the overall individual World Cup, which is still led by Marianne Vos (Nederland Bloeit).

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