It’s raining in Copenhagen as the team’s take the start for the Copenhagen-Malmo Team Time Trial. The organizers have Oxxo-Frisby and Tinkoff as the main threats to EA Vesuvio’s 4th consecutive win.
The first four teams on the course are: Lidl
Fastned
Gazelle
And Aker. None of them are expected to be contenders for the win. As they reach the 2nd time check which comes at the end of the bridge Fastned is the best, 8 seconds ahead of Lidl, 12 seconds up on Gazelle and 2’05 up on Aker. Aker one of the squads not trying all that hard today.
Further back on the bridge Assa Abloy is already down to 4 riders (although they only started with 6) and are about to be passed by cycleYorkshire, who just dropped their 7th rider (Skaarseth).
Just behind them are MOL who are also disintegrating a little.
Next are Tinkoff, the first of the top contenders and they look like a top contender. Zipp getting some good publicity here.
PCT squad Minions have always been strong in this discipline, they are fraying a little as they reach the second check. The go across in 6th, 34 seconds down on Tinkoff who have taken over the lead, Tinkoff are 19 seconds better than Fastned who are still 2nd at this check. Mol and Assa Abloy well down . cycleYorkshire were 1 second slower than Fastned.
Grieg are the next team on the course and another top contender. They still look good on the bridge. They matched Tinkoff at the 1st check but are 11 seconds up on the Russians when they reach the 2nd check.
King Power are the next across the 2nd check. They are 16 seconds down on Grieg, good enough for 3rd. At the finish Lidl has the best time, they reversed a 9 second deficit in the last segment and are 3 seconds up on Fastned. Gazelle 3rd at the finish 8 seconds down.
The favorites look perfectly drilled as they reach the 2nd check. They were 15 seconds up on Grieg at the first check and Oxxo have come through that check now 7 seconds down on EA. It is looking good for that 6th victory.
And EA’s lead on Greig is up to 20 seconds as their 2nd check time is reported.
Polar’s Tour of Tasmania winner Mullen does seems to be pulling his squad apart as predictd.
Moser just holding things together with 15k to go. They were 1’11 down at the 2nd check. Polar were 2’19 down. Tinkoff have finished 44 seconds better than Lidl but Grieg and EA will be at the finish soon.
Zara have passed Polar a while ago and look strong , they crossed the 2nd check in 5th, 50 seconds down on EA.
Cedevita will get their next.
Xero are performing as expected.
Jura’s promotion was built on an outstanding TTT squad and they haven’t forgotten how it is done. They are 44 seconds down, in 6th at the second check, ahead of ZARA but behind Cedevita who came across 40 seconds down. At the finish Grieg has held their 11 second advantage over Tinkoff and hold the hot seat. Just 4 teams left to reach the 2nd check (plus Xero who’s 5th rider hasn’t made it yet).
The tiger stripes of Oxxo-Frisby are next at the 2nd check, we will know soon if they are going to challenge EA Vesuvio.
EA has finished and extended their lead over Grieg to 26 seconds, so no weakness from them. King Power hold on to their 4th spot at the finish. Twelve teams are at the finish and the standings look like this:
Oxxo-Frisby’s time at the 2nd check was 10 seconds slower than EA, that is going in the wrong direction.
Evonik look like they have finally go this TTT think figured out and also have really cool wheels. Although their time is only OK – they finish 12th 1’31 down.
Cedevita, Jura and Zara hold their spots at the finish, ahead of Lidl and behind King Power, that is 5th through 7th.
Carlsberg are next team on the course. They were well out of it at the 2nd check in 21st, +2’49. Rabobank, Benetton Bimex and Puma are the only teams left on the course, none of them is expected to be a threat so it comes down to Oxxo-Frisby’s time at the finish.
Oxxo-Frisby put in a good last segment and gain 4 seconds on EA but that leaves them 6 seconds down. EA Vesuvio win the Copenhagen-Malmo TTT for the 4th consecutive year.
2k to go and Kooij is trying to keep up with Rabobank teammates. Tough love from his manager making a sprinter rider a 60k TTT. They finish in 15th, 3’34 down.
Reis and his teammates have left half their Benetton team behind, it doesn’t matter much here but this kind of thing cost him dearly at last year’s Tour of America. At the finish they take over 15th, 2 seconds better than Rabobank.
Puma is the last team on the course. They look at lot more organized and they finish 11th, 1’28 down (they were 13 seconds down on Benetton at the 2nd check meaning they gained over 2 minutes in the last segment)
Tanfield takes the plaudits for EA Vesuvio (for the 3rd time in a row). (Munton led across the line in 2021 and Belohvosckis led Saunier Duval home in 2007, records aren’t clear on their 2008 win)
Copenhagen–Malmo Team Time Trial 
