Two chrono's down and now it's time for the heavyweights to get into action. A Dutch triumph in the team event and the new American stage racer on the block held on to win the Under 23's event yesterday. Of course last year it was glory for Taylor Phinney, as he swept the Under 23's and suprised his seniors by posting an early time that proved unbeatable in the Elite Time Trial.
He will once again go off first of the double pronged United States assault with two time champion David Zabriskie going off second of the two. He will set off with what most consider to be the quartet of elite time trial specialists in the world of cycling. The others being Jerome Coppel, Fabian Cancellara and Michael Rogers.
None of these riders managed to inspire their teams to medals in the team time trial the other day so they'll be hungry for success today.
Luigi Sestili (Team Venchi ProCycling) is part of the making up the numbers exercise for the Italians. Against the clock the Italians are comparatively weak compared to other major nations, but an early start means they have a chance of the clubhouse lead. Sestili sets 27.38 at the first check at 19km, just before the Muur that he tries to climb as smoothly as possible.
His main rival out of the first handful of starters is Tiago Machado (Pearl Adidas) who has had a decent year in stage races this year. Machado though is not really a pure time triallist and falls three seconds short of Sestili at the first check.
Not that either of these riders are eying up a medal but each rider will have their own individual targets for this race. Estonia can be delighted to be here as Tanel Kangert (Pearl Adidas) manages to do what his trade team mate cannot and take the provisional lead at the first check with a time of 27.24.
From Protour back to CTour as Przemyslaw Niemiec (Ferrari - ERG) goes through the first check. He cannot beat the strong all rounder from Estonia though setting 27.33 good enough for provisional 3rd.
The times for this first check are nudging closer and closer to the 27 minute mark and through comes Jaroslav Popovych (Wiggle - San Pellegrino) with a time of 27.14 taking him past Kangert into the provisional lead.
The current top five on the leadernboard having a distinctly Eastern European feel.
Rider
1st check
Popovich
27.14
Kangert
27.24
Niemec
27.33
Sestili
27.38
Machado
27.41
Freddy Johansson (Sony Ericsson) breaks into the provisional top three with a time of 27.27 at the first checkpoint. It's been a quieter year for him and his Sony Ericsson team, still they are still up there as one of the top teams in the Protour.
Bradley Wiggins (Pendleton's Twicer) has been helping his trade team in their first year in the elite level. He has found individual results harder to come by, but he shows against the clock he still has some good skills. He is the first rider to break 27 minutes at the first check with 26.58 to oust Popovich.
Contast the tall Brit to the compact Justo Tenorio (Santander), who sets a time two seconds quicker than the Brit with 26.56. The decent times continue to improve as we approach the best riders.
The Russians look desperate to break into the elite of world cycling. But this year seems to have been a step backward take Ivan Kovalev (Team CSC-Orbea) farmed out from Wikipedia to the obscure Spanish outfirt seemingly only concerned with extreme hills and mountains. It seems to have blunted Kovalev's edge as he sets 27.26 good enough only for provisional 5th at the first check.
Another with his edge blunted is Joost Posthuma (Jack Wolfskin) but perhaps for different reasons. His teams win in the team event was well celebrated perhaps a little too much from rider who had individual commitments. Posthuma cannot break 27 minutes at the first check and only sets 27.05 a mild disappointment for him.
We are still yet to get onto the top riders from each nation but lets have a look at the top five:
Rider
1st check
Tenorio
26.56
Wiggins
26.58
Posthuma
27.05
Popovich
27.14
Kangert
27.24
The first check is just before the one ceromonial climb of the Muur so it will be interesting to see what effect that has if any. But we have two very strong riders in this second string group. Lucas Schädlich (VolksWagen - Siemens) and the Germans look determined to put the disappointment of missing out on a team medal behind them as he sets a new best of 26.52 at the first check.
However his time is smashed to pieces by Taylor Phinney (Wikipedia) who clearly is looking determined to defend his world title. It's a massive new best of 26.19 some 33 seconds faster than Schladlich.
It possibly represents the difference between the best of the protour and the best of the CTour in terms of time trialling. Some say Phinney's win last year was due to the hilly nature of the course, whilst others point to him going out early - we shall see what going out early does for him today as this course is mainly flat.
This suits Michael Ford (Vesuvio-Accumalux) down to the ground, but even so he still finds the rolling opening blunts his obvious chrono ability as he can only set 27.01.
The top ten then after these second string riders:
Rider
1st check
Phinney
26.19
Schladlich
26.52
Tenorio
26.56
Wiggins
26.58
Ford
27.01
Posthuma
27.05
Popovich
27.14
Kangert
27.24
Kovolev
27.26
Johannson
27.27
There is a bit of a lull as we move onto the first of the top string riders and the early starters are moving through the second check. This includes early pace setters such as Tenorio and Schladlich - both set 54.20 for 39km good enough for a joint lead before Phinney comes blasting through.
You can see here his is overtaking his two minute man!
It's a massive new best at the second check of 53.17! He really is setting massive new benchmarks in a similar way to Tayler Brandt in the Under 23's.
Rider
1st check
2nd check
Phinney
26.19
53.17
Schladlich
26.52
54.20
Tenorio
26.56
54.20
Wiggins
26.58
54.25
Posthuma
27.05
54.38
Ford
27.01
54.39
Popovich
27.14
54.49
Kangert
27.24
55.08
Johannson
27.27
55.18
Kovolev
27.26
55.20
We notice here the position of Bradley Wiggins and here comes his countryman Ian Stannard (Rapha Condor - Qhubeka). Certainly seen as one of the top testers in the CTour and ranked by the British coaches as a better rider than Wiggo. However his time at the first check is just 27.19, a full 21 seconds slower than Wiggins and only good enough for provisional 8th.
Here comes a rider who has really struggled to hit the heights of previous season. Punctures, falls, windy splits, complications in transfer season or problems within his team... whatever the reason 2012 has been a bit of a mess for Mikhail Ignatiev (T.CS Bank - OJSC Rosneft). This is reflected in a weak time of 27.15 and provisional 9th, it looks doubtful the Russian will hit the top ten.
A reminder of the top ten at the first check:
Phinney
26.19
Schladlich
26.52
Tenorio
26.56
Wiggins
26.58
Ford
27.01
Posthuma
27.05
Plaza
27.12
Popovich
27.14
Ignatiev
27.15
Stannard
27.19
The second Dutch rider and another of that team time trial winning team Martijn Keizer (Bacardi - Ignis) is out there battling these becalmed conditions and possibly the aftereffects of the party following the win a couple of days ago. He does break 27 minutes but is nowhere near that time of Phinney's with just 26.58.
It will not be the day for Belgium either as Dominique Cornu (Jack Wolfskin) sets a weak first check of 27.05.
Disappointment for the home fans really, but it was a push to imagine Cornu taking a medal here. Another he who is just below the top table of time triallers is Marcel Kittel (Vesuvio-Accumalux). But Kittel like so many in this second wave is not matching his countryman setting a time of 27.05, some 13 seconds slower than Schladlich.
We are still waiting for those first check times of the big Quartet who are hoping to challange Phinney of Cancellara, Coppel, Rogers and Zabriskie. But we just check at the finish of those who have completed the course:
Rider
1st check
2nd check
3rd check
Tenorio
26.56
54.20
83.00
Wiggins
26.58
54.25
83.04
Posthuma
27.05
54.38
83.26
Popovich
27.14
54.49
83.48
Kangert
27.24
55.08
84.21
Johannson
27.27
55.18
84.21
Kovolev
27.26
55.20
84.23
Niemec
27.33
55.28
84.44
Sestili
27.38
55.40
85.07
Machado
27.41
55.42
85.13
Some of these riders have a real shot of a top ten perhaps even a medal if these conditions effect the super tters. When you check those first check times you see Tenorio right there in third.
Rider
1st check
Phinney
26.19
Schladlich
26.52
Tenorio
26.56
Wiggins
26.58
Keizer
26.58
Ford
27.01
Posthuma
27.05
Kittel
27.05
Cornu
27.05
Plaza
27.12
It's been a ding dong battle between Tenorio, Wiggins and Schladlich who have been in a range of about 5 seconds all the way through. But the young German manages to set a new best at the finish with 82 minutes and 54 seconds, the first rider to break 83 minutes.
But these riders may need to temper their expectations of a medal as Fabian Cancellara (Carmeuse - Bouygues Telecom) has just posted the closest time to Phinney and is now on his favourite part of the course the Muur.
His time of 26.27 at the first check is eight seconds slower than Phinney, talking of which here he comes into the finish.
A sensational time of 81 minutes and 26 seconds completely smashing the previous best times and setting something that just could defend his World ITT title!
Back at that crucial first check, we can see Frenchman Jerome Coppel (Milka - Vittel) coming through with a time of 26.32. It's thirteen seconds slower than Phinney and five off of Cancellara, a medal could be on the cards for France here.
But it is looking pretty good for Phinney, a quick look at the top ten second check times so far:
Rider
1st check
2nd check
Phinney
26.19
53.17
Schladlich
26.52
54.20
Tenorio
26.56
54.20
Wiggins
26.58
54.25
Keizer
26.58
54.26
Posthuma
27.05
54.38
Ford
27.01
54.39
Popovich
27.14
54.49
Plaza
27.12
54.51
Ignatiev
27.15
54.57
Some confidence from the Phinney camp, but they were in for an unpleasant shock if they were hoping for a repeat of the Gold-Silver from last year. David Zabriskie (Pendletons) could only post the 4th best time at 19km with 26.46.
We can see the big four once again being eclipsed by Phinney, though Rogers has been given the nod over the upstart. The times are pretty tight at the top there and we are seeing riders fluctuate slightly over the course as a slight breeze is coming on every now and again.
Cancellara is zooming through the second check having been surely the fastest up the Muur today.
Brilliantly the Swiss has overturned an eight second deficit into a six second gain, a whopping 14 second swing. Possibly conditions are getting more favourable out there as the later starters are holding or making up ground on those earlier starters.
Rider
1st check
2nd check
Cancellara
26.27
53.11
Phinney
26.19
53.17
Schladlich
26.52
54.20
Tenorio
26.56
54.20
Wiggins
26.58
54.25
Keizer
26.58
54.26
Cornu
27.05
54.34
Posthuma
27.05
54.38
Kittel
27.05
54.38
Ford
27.01
54.39
The final three come across the second check and Coppel finds himself eighteen seconds down and Zabriskie is way back at 44 seconds down. However hopes of a Swiss victory are hit when Rogers comes through with the new fastest time of 53.05.
It's looking like a three way battle for Gold between the already finished defending champion Taylor Phinney, the checkpoints leader Michael Rogers and the now finishing Swiss Cancellara...
Brilliantly he is seen overtaking Kittel on the way to the finish, this really isn't supposed to happen! Indeed it is a new best by seven seconds over Phinney, the champion is dethroned. The top ten with three riders left:
Rider
1st check
2nd check
3rd check
Cancellara
26.27
53.11
81.19
Phinney
26.19
53.17
81.26
Schladlich
26.52
54.20
82.54
Tenorio
26.56
54.20
83.00
Wiggins
26.58
54.25
83.04
Keizer
26.58
54.26
83.09
Kittel
27.05
54.38
83.19
Cornu
27.05
54.34
83.25
Ford
27.01
54.39
83.25
Posthuma
27.05
54.38
83.26
It's just a case to see where the finishers slot in. Coppel slots in provisional third with a time of 81.42, it's almost certainly not going to win a medal. But the Frenchman does beat a below par Zabriskie whose time of 82.18 is almost a minute off the pace.
Through the last 5km Rogers has even been able to see the American, he speeds through the line about half a minute behind Z-Nuts.
He breaks 81 minutes and wins the World championships by a massive 20 seconds, really nailing that last section. His first win in the Man-Game era, a year after being denied the attempt at the race. Silver for Cancellara and Bronze for last years winner Phinney.
Dutch triumph in the team event and the new 
American stage racer on the block held on to win the Under 23's event yesterday. Of course last year it was glory for 
Jerome Coppel, 
Fabian Cancellara and 
Michael Rogers. 
Luigi Sestili (Team Venchi ProCycling) is part of the making up the numbers exercise for the Italians. Against the clock the Italians are comparatively weak compared to other major nations, but an early start means they have a chance of the clubhouse lead. Sestili sets 27.38 at the first check at 19km, just before the Muur that he tries to climb as smoothly as possible.
Tiago Machado (Pearl Adidas) who has had a decent year in stage races this year. Machado though is not really a pure time triallist and falls three seconds short of Sestili at the first check. 
Estonia can be delighted to be here as Tanel Kangert (Pearl Adidas) manages to do what his trade team mate cannot and take the provisional lead at the first check with a time of 27.24.
Przemyslaw Niemiec (Ferrari - ERG) goes through the first check. He cannot beat the strong all rounder from Estonia though setting 27.33 good enough for provisional 3rd. 
Jaroslav Popovych (Wiggle - San Pellegrino) with a time of 27.14 taking him past Kangert into the provisional lead. 
Freddy Johansson (Sony Ericsson) breaks into the provisional top three with a time of 27.27 at the first checkpoint. It's been a quieter year for him and his Sony Ericsson team, still they are still up there as one of the top teams in the Protour.
Bradley Wiggins (Pendleton's Twicer) has been helping his trade team in their first year in the elite level. He has found individual results harder to come by, but he shows against the clock he still has some good skills. He is the first rider to break 27 minutes at the first check with 26.58 to oust Popovich. 
Justo Tenorio (Santander), who sets a time two seconds quicker than the Brit with 26.56. The decent times continue to improve as we approach the best riders. 
Russians look desperate to break into the elite of world cycling. But this year seems to have been a step backward take Ivan Kovalev (Team CSC-Orbea) farmed out from Wikipedia to the obscure Spanish outfirt seemingly only concerned with extreme hills and mountains. It seems to have blunted Kovalev's edge as he sets 27.26 good enough only for provisional 5th at the first check.
Lucas Schädlich (VolksWagen - Siemens) and the Germans look determined to put the disappointment of missing out on a team medal behind them as he sets a new best of 26.52 at the first check.
Belgium either as Dominique Cornu (Jack Wolfskin) sets a weak first check of 27.05.
