Welcome to the second event of the World Championships, the team time trial.
Bookies have the Netherlands favored. The Dutch once dominated this event, winning it four out of five times from 2012 to 2016, then fell off a bit but still took bronze last year. Spain are the defending champion and once again certainly a contender, but the field is pretty tight, many countries have their eyes set on the medals.
The Ukraine are first on the road. Golovash is a strong time trialist, but in the absence of Zmorka, the rest of the team is far inferior and they won’t be competing for a top result. They set the first time at the finish with
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The theme of teams having one really strong rider and not much around him continues for the first few teams. For Colombia, that’s top star Uran. On paper, they would be a bit stronger, but they fall short by a second at the line.
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Canada’s top time trialist is Cataford, and he leads them to a provisional best time.
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Ireland has an elite time trialist, too, in Mullen, but with Downey and Richardson, there’s a bit more depth behind them. Enough to take another new best time comfortably.
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Portugal are up next, another somewhat balanced team led by Gocalves, Reis and Barbio. They trailed the Irishmen by 2 seconds at the checkpoint but turn that around on the second half of the course - they lead by 4 seconds at the finish.
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Belgium are a proud cycling nation, but the team time trial has never been their strong suit. A third place in 2012 stands as their lone podium result and with some of their best time trialists not even here, including most notably Campenaerts and Ghyselinck, today won’t be any different.
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Vlatos is one of the world’s best time trialists and he leads a Greek team that could arguably be called Team Festina + 1 (that one being Farfetch’s Soulious) to a new best time! The first to finish under 52 minutes.
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Meanwhile, the first team that was ranked in the Top 5 on the list of favorites is on the road. But the Germans are only a single second ahead of Austria, two ahead of Poland and Norway at the checkpoint. Not exactly what you’d like to see for them.
Said Poles are possibly the most well-rounded team so far. No elite time trialists, but solid guys all around led by Rekita and Kaczmarek. The time at the intermediate check was promising and they take the lead with ease.
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Everyone was extremely close together at the time check so far, including the Germans, but the United States set themselves apart by 13 seconds to take the lead there. A strong showing as far as we can tell at this point - could they be in medal contention?
The Czech have a solid roster here with a handful of good time trialists, but no one really standing out. That’s good enough for second at the moment.
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The only team from the African continent is South Africa. They have two top time trialists in Morne Van Nierkerk and Reinhard Janse Van Rensburg. But they can’t quite attack the lead.
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The next two medal contenders are on the road. While defending champion Spain is already 10 seconds behind, Italy equals the US time!
Next up at the line is Team Austria. Like South Africa before them, they’re primarily led by two elite riders in Hofer and Brändle, and they seem to have a slightly better day - new best time by a single second.
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Then comes Switzerland with Dillier as their top star. They’re 6 seconds slower, which is good enough for third right now.
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All teams are on the road by now and more and more top teams pass the time check at the halfway point. While Denmark is five seconds behind the US and Italy, the Netherlands take the provisional lead, but just by one second! What a close race so far!
Then the Germans reach the finish line. Their time at the checkpoint didn’t look great and that is confirmed at the line. New lead, but only six seconds ahead of Austria. They’ve been hit hard by non-nominations for the likes of Kittel and Schädlich, but with stars like Sütterlin and Fiedler and good depth behind them, expectations were rightfull higher.
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Then come the US with individual World Tour champion Taylor Phinney on the left there. They obliterate Germany’s time, almost half a minute faster - this is certainly a bid for the podium for last year’s runner-ups!
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Norway follows, they were about on par with Germany at the halfway point and fall 3 seconds short of their time, but still, a decent performance. It might be enough for a Top 10, but not necessarily - which is also an endictment of the Germans.
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All teams have now passed the checkpoint and we had some movement at the top. First, France took a very impressive 9 second lead over the Dutch, and then Australia came by and were even faster!
Here’s a look at the standings at that point. Australia and France seem to be fighting for Gold, but the race for the final podium place is incredibly close - and who knows, if one of the top two struggles, more might well be possible.
Back to the finish, Great Britain comes next. cycleYorkshire duo Tennant and Stannard are a bit on their own. With multiple solid time trialists including among others Christian and Tanfield at home, they can’t compete today. Sixth for now.
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New Zealand are missing Sergent badly, but even with him, they likely wouldn’t have competed for much more than the 10th place they have right now. But of course, they’ll fall quite a bit still.
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Defending champs Spain were only 8th at the time check, a disappointment for the guys around Tenorio, who leads them towards the finish line. They have an okay second half, but lose additional time to the Americans to finish provisional 2nd.
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Now we’re in the fight for the medals! Italy has a top roster - if Ganna and Boaro are your worst time trialists, you know you’re pretty well off -, and they were tied with the US and a second behind the Netherlands halfway through the course. How was their second half?
Spoiler
Not good enough! They’re 3 seconds slower - that likely already eliminates them from podium contention!
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Denmark rode a really good race, ultimately beating Spain and Germany to finish third for now. Würtz is obviously world class, but considering his teammates, this was not necessarily expected.
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Can the Netherlands take their third consecutive medal? We’ll find out right now. One second was their advantage on the US, and now at the line …
Spoiler
… it’s down to less than that, but they stay ahead! Fractions of a second decide the duel in their favor!
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Then France is up. Similar to Italy, they don’t have a single weak spot, but also time trialists of world class caliber in Coppel, Viennet and Paillot. They were pretty comfortably ahead of the Netherlands at the checkpoint …
Spoiler
… and they more than double their lead at the finish! 21 seconds ahead, that’s silver at least, but such a strong performance puts pressure on the Australians!
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One more team before we find out who wins gold. Russia is not in that contention, they finish provisional fifth, will end up sixth. A solid result.
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Please ignore that yellow jersey, not sure what happened there.
But then it’s time for the decision! Australia led France by 5 seconds, but the French had a great second half - either way, we’ll have a first time winner of this even, but who will it be?
Spoiler
Australia does it! They lose a second on their way to the finish, but that’s still enough to win the World Championships Team Time Trial!
World Championships 
Ukraine are first on the road. Golovash is a strong time trialist, but in the absence of Zmorka, the rest of the team is far inferior and they won’t be competing for a top result. They set the first time at the finish with 
Colombia, that’s top star Uran. On paper, they would be a bit stronger, but they fall short by a second at the line.
Canada’s top time trialist is Cataford, and he leads them to a provisional best time.
Ireland has an elite time trialist, too, in Mullen, but with Downey and Richardson, there’s a bit more depth behind them. Enough to take another new best time comfortably.
Portugal are up next, another somewhat balanced team led by Gocalves, Reis and Barbio. They trailed the Irishmen by 2 seconds at the checkpoint but turn that around on the second half of the course - they lead by 4 seconds at the finish.
Belgium are a proud cycling nation, but the team time trial has never been their strong suit. A third place in 2012 stands as their lone podium result and with some of their best time trialists not even here, including most notably Campenaerts and Ghyselinck, today won’t be any different. 
Greek team that could arguably be called Team Festina + 1 (that one being Farfetch’s Soulious) to a new best time! The first to finish under 52 minutes.
Austria, two ahead of 
Poland and 
Norway at the checkpoint. Not exactly what you’d like to see for them.
United States set themselves apart by 13 seconds to take the lead there. A strong showing as far as we can tell at this point - could they be in medal contention?
Czech have a solid roster here with a handful of good time trialists, but no one really standing out. That’s good enough for second at the moment.
South Africa. They have two top time trialists in Morne Van Nierkerk and Reinhard Janse Van Rensburg. But they can’t quite attack the lead.
Spain is already 10 seconds behind, 
Italy equals the 
Switzerland with Dillier as their top star. They’re 6 seconds slower, which is good enough for third right now.
Denmark is five seconds behind the 
Netherlands take the provisional lead, but just by one second! What a close race so far!
France took a very impressive 9 second lead over the 
Australia came by and were even faster!
Great Britain comes next. cycleYorkshire duo Tennant and Stannard are a bit on their own. With multiple solid time trialists including among others Christian and Tanfield at home, they can’t compete today. Sixth for now.
New Zealand are missing Sergent badly, but even with him, they likely wouldn’t have competed for much more than the 10th place they have right now. But of course, they’ll fall quite a bit still.
Australians!
Russia is not in that contention, they finish provisional fifth, will end up sixth. A solid result.
