January 1 - September 27, Richmond, Richmond, VA, Road - CDM
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Hello and Welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverage of the men's team time trial World Championship.
Here's a quick look at the profile from today's stage.
The teams will be starting with three-minute gaps today. Four teams are currently on course, including Champion System-Stans No Tubes, Lupus Racing Team, Astellas and Jelly Belly-Maxxis.
The UCI made a special ruling earlier this year that allows all US domestic teams to compete in the team time trial championships on their home soil. Most US-registered teams are taking advantage of the exemption to get their sponsors' names out their during this high-profile event.
Jamis-Hagens Berman is now on course.
Earlier today Velocio-SRAM won their fourth consecutive team time trial World Championship in a neck-and-neck battle with Boels Dolmans. You can read more about that race here.
The big news today is that Team Sky will start the race with all six riders despite crashing heavily during a training run yesterday. Read more here.
Champion System and Luus have gone though the first check point. Champion System had a time of 11:44.54. Lupus crossed the line a tick faster in 11:44.20
Astellas went though the 10km checkpoint with a time of 12:00.48.
Hincapie racing is now on the course, and Optum is in the start house
Jelly Belly's first time split is 11:37.95, the fastest yet.
The second time split comes at 17.8km
UnitedHealthcare has just rolled out of the start house.
Topsport Vlaanderen of Belgium are on the course.
Lupus goes through the second time check with a time of 20:58.58
Jelly Belly's mark at the second time check is 20:35.97
The WorldTour teams are starting now. IAM is the first one out of the start house.
Hincapie goes through the first time check at 11:46.60. Jelly Belly is still the fastest so far, but with the WorldTour teams starting on the course that time should fall.
Optum's time at the first check is the fastest so far at 11:13.56
Cannondale-Garmin are underway.
BMC, who start last, are ready to defend their 2014 title today. Team manager Jim Ochowicz told Cyclingnews he's confidenct in their preparation.
"Marco Pinotti is in charge of the team, preparing them, and he’s done a great job thus far. I’ve got a lot of confidence in Marco to get the job done this afternoon," he said.
Cyclingnews' Daniel Benson spoke with Team Sky's Ian Stannard before the start:
"We were just on the turbos this morning. We’re a bit battered and bruised but in good spirits which is the main thing. There was just a pothole and with the colour of the tarmac you just don’t see them. We were going so fast and that was it. I just heard the crash because I was actually at the front and didn’t see the pothole. We’ll just go out there and race it. It could all go wrong and the guys are stiff and sore but they’re motivated. We’ll give it our all."
FDJ and LottoNL-Jumbo are both on course now.
IAM Cycling sets the fastest time through the first check at 10:59.82
Trek have just rolled out of the start house.
Team Sky's Rolf Aldag also spoke with Daniel Benson this morning.
"It’s more windy than the other days. There’s a cross-tail wind and then a bit of a headwind, which will make the finish harder. You can’t really go full gas from the start because you need to have something left for the finish.
"Michał Kwiatkowski will lead us down the start ramp because he will help speed up in a good way. The race will come down to the last half but also perhaps the final climb. I don’t think that there will be huge time gaps in the first 25km but then we should see the splits starting to grow.
"Favourites, take your pick from us, Orica, BMC, Movistar and Sky would have been but there crash will not help them. Then you don’t know because one team could have a day. Then you have Tinkoff and if they get their stuff together they could podium.
Lampre-Merida are rolling out of the start house now with Rui Costa leading
Jelly Belly are averaging nearly 52kph out on course.
Champion System are the first team to cross the line with a time of 47:22.
IAM sets the best time at the second time split with 19:36.59
Lupus finishes with a time of 47:25.96
Giant-Alpecin are now out on the course.
LottoNL-Jumbo's Jos van Emden has a mechanical and needs a new bike. He won't catch back up to the team now.
IAM's fast pace has knocked one rider out of the group. They're down to five now.
Lotto Soudal rolls out onto the course now.
Jelly Belly finishes with the best time so far at 45:49.60
Astana are on the course now.
LottoNL-Jumbo currently has the best time at the first split, covering the opening 10km in 10:49.05
And now Sagan and Rogers lead Tinkoff Saxo down the start ramp. They're dark horses for the podium today, and so much depends on ho well they work together.
Here come Vino4Ever. Yes, that's a real team. They come over the line in third place so far.
As meanwhile Team Sky are on the podium. Three of their riders crashed at 60kph yesterday but they're all on the start line now, Danny Pate with bandages all over his right side. They roll down the start ramp with Viviani sitting at the back at this point.
Team Sky out on the flatter sections of the early stages and they're rolling along nicely. Viviani is actually on the front and taking his turn, so the knee isn holding up for now. Optum still lead out on the course as Movistar now set out from the start house. They could certainly challenge for the podium with a very strong TTT squad.
Dowsett and Malori will be so important for the Movistar team as up ahead we see Tinkoff take a corner right at the limit of what's possible. Movistar have already settled into a decent pace and are travelling at 65kph.
Lotto Jumbo still lead at the first time check and Tinkoff Saxo have gone through the time check at 3 seconds slower.
And Topsport go fastest at the finish by a handful of seconds but now we have Etixx on the start ramp. Kwiatkowski will lead them down the start ramp as they aim to win this for the third time. They lost last year to BMC.
IAM are now leading the race crossing the line and pushing Optum into second. Now it's Orica who are off the start ramp. Another favourite for today's win.
Up the road Movistar are lined out and in full flow. They have a little wobble through one corner but then find their formation once more. Astana are now coming up the second time check but they're not going to trouble Lotto Jumbo.
Cannondale Garmin come to the line with four riders but they take the lead by 7 seconds.
Now it's BMC Racing who start and it's Dennis with his track experience who lead them down the start ramp.
There's a crash for Tinkoff Saxo and two riders are on the deck.
A touch of wheels and two riders are down. Rogers and Valgren. That's a huge blow for that team.
Both riders are up but missing a lot of skin. They were already down to five riders so that could be their race over.
Lotto Jumbo though come to the line and they're going to set the new fastest time, beating FDJ into second by 31 seconds.
Etixx go through the first time check two seconds faster on Lotto Jumbo.
Movistar are motoring and they're looking strong and they're 8 seconds fastest at the second time check. They're real medal contenders now.
And Orica are less than half a second slower than Etixx at the first time check.
Out on the course as things stand Movistar are fastest with Giant, Orica, BMC and Etixx all within a few seconds of each other.
BMC are now heading to the first time check. They are 3 seconds fastest at this point - an excellent start to the race for BMC Racing who lead ahead of Etixx after 10km.
Out on the course the GPS says that Etixx are fastest but the top four teams keep swapping the lead. Giant, BMC, Movistar and Orica are all so close together.
There are four seconds between Movistar, Etixx, Oirca and BMC. Giant are about to finish and they come over the line, they're down to four riders but take the lead by 13 seconds. Can they hang on for a podium?
Orica are down to five riders but Movistar still have their six man quota, but Etixx currently lead by four seconds. BMC in second place.
Right now BMC and Etix are tied on time.
BMC now come to the second time check and they're 12 seconds faster than Etixx. 18.58 seconds. That's a huge margin.
It now looks like we have four medal contenders in BMC, Orica, Etixx and Movistar. Giant, although in the hotseat, look out of it for now.
Right now it's so close between Etixx and BMC for the gold.
Movistar and Orica look to be locked in a tight battle for the bronze medal but there's still a long way to go as we see Etixx line out on another flat section of the parcours.
And Etixx go through the third time check 17 seconds faster than Movistar. It really is a battle between the Belgian team and BMC for gold.
As we see Team Sky come to the finish, just four of them left, as they come over the line - Pate still there - in around 6th place.
Movistar now come over the line. They should take the lead as Dowsett pulls over. They take the lead 33 seconds faster than Giant.
Movistar come in with the new best time, 33 seconds faster than Giant.
Tinkoff are slowly rolling across the finish now as well. A tough day for the Peter Sagan's squad.
How long can Movistar's top time of 42:38.08 now.
BMC go through the final time check with the fastest time. They've led the race at each of the time checks.
Etixx are approaching the finish. Yves Lampaert loses contact on the climb.
Etixx comes through with the new fastest time of 42:19.32
Orica-GreenEdge should be coming in next, but they've been slowing down over the final time check and could fall out of the medals.
BMC have just five riders now as they close in on the finish. Looks like Stefan Kung is the missing rider.
Four Orica-GreenEdge riders come through with a time of 43:01:70 and will likely slip off the podium.
Just one team left on course now as BMC drive for the finish. It's Rohan Dennis supplying the power on the front.
Dennis pulls off
BMC has done it. They finish with a time of 42:07.97, just over 11 seconds faster than Etixx.
Today's top 10:
1 BMC Racing Team 0:42:07 2 Etixx-QuickStep 0:00:11 3 Movistar Team 0:00:30 4 Orica-GreenEdge 0:00:53 5 Team Giant Alpecin 0:01:03 6 LottoNL-Jumbo 0:01:17 7 Lotto Soudal 0:01:26 8 Astana Pro Team 0:01:37 9 Team Sky 0:01:41 10 Trek Factory Racing 0:01:46
Etixx-QuickStep are on the podium now receiving their silver medals and consolation flowers. The riders look happy, but they've got to be disappointed to miss out on gold again this year after winning the 2012 and 2013 team time trials.
BMC come up for the medals now. The US crowd is going crazy.
The biggest cheers are reserved for Taylor Phinney, of course.
Since the team time trial was reintroduced to Worlds in 2012, BMC have won twice and Etixx-QuickStep have won twice. Maybe next year will provide the rubber match between the two.
Although just one rider from BMC's team time trial roster is from the US, the team's American registration means the US national anthem is played. The home crowd reacts accordingly.
