Hilly route in the USA. This is obviously ideal terrain for Tejay Van Garderen. He has 4 team mates to control the race. But is this enough with a total of 33 riders?
Chiquita surely needs to help them as they have the biggest contingent. 5- and 6-rider squads for them being led by Kinney/Selander and Haga/Duggan. Are they willed to help out though as all of them are far behind Van Garderen.
In-n-Out with 3 riders around Gaimon could help a bit as well, while Dombrowski, Holloway or Bookwalter are alone.
Eastman at least has 2 riders next to him but prefers longer climbs.
All others need a breakaway for sure.
3 riders in the break. And first to note that Chiquita goes for it. Their weaker squad around Haga/Duggan sends Howes while also Eastman sends a rider in Stetina.
The third is Lululemon`s Fisher.
Craddock is doing a lot of work early on for Movistar. Also the Kinney Chiquita squad is working, while Dombrowski at times is working for himself.
The pace behind is quick enough to keep the gap at a maximum of 2min. Hence the break also needs to go a fast pace, which results in dropping Fisher.
Half time and 2 climbs done. Carter Jones attacks. This means also the 2nd Chiquita squad in attack mode now. It just makes sense seeing the dominance of Van Garderen in the hilly terrain.
Good for Movistar that In-n-Out is giving them a bit support.
3rd climb and the break is almost caught. And we also see the top favourite! Van Garderen goes early! He passes Fisher and has Stetina, Jones and Howes just ahead.
Dombrowski chases alongside In-n-Out now as nobody was able to follow that acceleration immediately.
But they follow just moments later and no surprise Chiquita is the team with most attackers. It`s Kinney joining Jones and Howes. Then it`s Gaimon and Dombrowski, while Stetina just hangs behind them.
Eastman and Holloway now chasing behind. But also Haga, Duggan, Bookwalter in the first rows.
A group of 5 is chasing Van Garderen now. Former break riders Howes and Carter alongside Kinney. Dombrowski and Gamion as Stetina is dropped.
Though on hilly terrain the gap widens more and more. It`s at 1min now.
The pace behind though is fast as well. Dombrowski speeds up and drops Howes and Carter Jones.
But no chance to beat Van Garderen. The top favourite with the expected domination. Attacking already on the 3rd climb also delivered him a big gap today!
Kinney outsprints Gaimon for 2nd, while Dombrowski had to pay tribute in the end for his chasing. 4th for him.
The ITT is about the veterans. Zabriskie might have been the best US time trialist in history next to Phinney. First though did regress a lot already and 2nd is not here. So the biggest opponent for Zabriskie is Brent Bookwalter, who might be a bit stronger even.
Valdwell, Cruz, Haga, Reijnen or Eastman only with outside chances.
Haga though showing what is possible on a good day. He beats Eastman by 9s early on.
Raisin, Warbasse, Griffith, Brown, Rosskopf, Reijnen but also Cruz and Caldwell all finish behind him.
Former World Champion against the clock Dave-Z on the road as well now. He is only 8s faster than Haga.
And Bookwalter goes as expected. 30s to Haga which means 22s faster than his biggest opponent.
Half time and his gap is up to 44s! Domination by him. Or possibly just a weak ride by Zabriskie as he even lost some time on Haga. Only 5s in between those two.
Zabriskie at least wants the 2nd though and he is gaining again. 12s with 10km to go on Haga.
But Bookwalter is the new ITT champion of the United States. He is almost passing Zabriskie, which shows the weak performance by later and possibly the strong by the Kenya rider.
In the finish it`s 1'22 for Zabriskie, who takes 2nd though 12s ahead of a very strong Haga.
Tejay Van Garderen
