Welcome to the Elite Individual Time Trial World Championship! 49 kms with start and end in Nagasaki that will see who is crowned as the new ITT World Champion. The main favourite is defending champion, and 4x champion Taylor Phinney. Only one other former WC is in the race, with Aleksandr Pluchkin, winner of the B Road Race, having taken the title in 2015, the only time in the past four years that Phinney didn’t win it... and it was because the American didn’t race it. The other main favourites, seeing how the U23 race panned out, are Rein Taaramae, Robert Gesink, Justo Tenorio and Jacob Fiedler. 48 riders are ready to fight for the 3rd Rainbow Jersey of the week
The first to start is Slovenian Janez Brajkovic. His time is 1h15’24, a time which would have already beaten Herklotz’s time in the U23 race
But Brajkovic doesn’t last in the top spot, as Oliveira improves his time by 7 seconds
Steensen didn’t have the legs today, as he couldn’t even go under 76 minutes, being 1’22 slower than Oliveira
Brenes’ bad time was expected, and he’s last at the moment,, 1’35 behind Oliveira
Duarte puts the third best time provisionally... but 1’20 behind Oliveira, which is not a good time for the Colombian
Laengen sets the third best time as Duarte did before, but the Norwegian is only 16 seconds slower than Oliveira
Braico at least can say that he beat Brenes, because he had a terrible day, finishing 1’24 behind Oliveira
Malori ties Oliveira’s time! But the officials places him in second, behind the Portuguese
Fifth time for Meier, who is within a minute of Oliveira’s time
That was close for Hofer! He finished his race just 3 seconds slower than Oliveira, which gives the Austrian the current third best time.
Schar sets the sixth time, 38 seconds behind Oliveira
Yatsevich is probably the big disappointment so far, as he can only be sixth at the moment, after been 36 seconds slower than Oliveira
Another rider to set the sixth best time is Atkins, but this time is much closer to the Top5, as he was 17 seconds behind Oliveira
Finally a change of leader! Emilien Viennet destroyes everyone else time, being the first rider to go under 75 minutes, and gapping Oliveira by 45 seconds!
Awful time by Fraile, in a course that suited him. He’s not even in the Top10, and is almost 2 minutes behind Viennet!
Howson sets the sixth best time, 56 seconds behind Viennet, and avoid by only a few seconds to be overtaken by the next rider...
... who is Robert Gesink and is the new leader! 1h13’30. Wow. That’s 1’02 faster than Viennet!
Kastrantas is only in this race because i guess no other Greek rider was available, and he’s dead last, four minutes behind Gesink
Decent time for Joeaar, who is 10th, 2’19 behind Gesink
Frison ties Hofer’s time, which is good enough to be sixth provisionally, 1’49 behind Gesink
Golovash sets the seventh best time, a little under two minutes slower than Gesink
Really great race by Kittel, who is the only rider to be within a minute of Gesink’s time (42 seconds)
Bookwalter does a decent TT, which gives him the current fourth place
Petrus shows that his African TT title was just a day-on by finishing only ahead of Kastrantas, over 3’30 behind Gesink
Spilak is able to beat Kittel by just one second and sneak into the medal places!
Goncalves manages to finish within 2 minutes of Gesink, but the time isn’t enough for a Top10
Quaade doesn’t have his best day, as he’s only 19th so far, 2’24 behind Gesink
Amador does the sixth best time, 1’40 behind Gesink. He has recovered nicely from his crash in the B Road Race to do a decent TT today
Uran does a time under 75 minutes which is enough to be in 5th place at this moment, 1’19 behind Gesink
Haugard finishes almost 2 minutes behind Gesink, in 14th place
Pluchkin won’t repeat his title of 2015, but at least he is sneaking into the Top5, with a time 1’04 slower than Gesink’s
Italy’s hope, Cattaneo, didn’t have a good day, as he doesn’t even finish inside Top20
As the African champion, the Asian champion has a terrible day, and finishes just one second ahead of Petrus, down in 31st
Cataford with an anonymous ride down in 22th, 2’22 behind Gesink
Not the greatest of days for Brandle, and he just gets into the Top20, being more than 2 minutes slower than Gesink
Dillier does a similar time to Brandle, beating the Austrian by a few seconds
Another rider to be in the same region of 2’20 being his loss to Gesink is Kritskiy
Sergent does an awful time, over 3 minutes worse than Gesink’s
Paillot with a disappointing ride, finishing 2’11 behind Gesink, outside of Top20
Seventh time for Tenorio, 1’24 slower than Gesink. Probably this can be the best result of his season...
Eighth time so far for Durbridge, 1’38 behind Gesink. His Top10 spot is in really risk with still 7 riders left to finish
Though the first one can’t beat him... by just 1 second. Keizer sets the ninth best time with 6 riders left
Horrible time by Vlatos, who is more than 2 minutes slower than Gesink
Rein Taaramae goes second! He has beaten Spilak and Kittel by just a few tenths to be closer to a medal in this WC
Cornu can’t go under 1h15’ and thus his time is only enough for 9th with 3 riders left to finish
Definitely not a good for Zmorka, as he’s going to finish 39th in this race, 2’45 behind Gesink...
Jacob Fiedler can just be fifth, just under a minute off Gesink’s time, which confirms a medal for Taaramae
The last rider is Taylor Phinney, the reigning champion in this discipline. The only one that can avoid the win of Robert Gesink. And his time is...
.. 1h14’03! 33 seconds slower than Gesink! Phinney will get a Silver medal today, but the news are that...
