Past editions, personal experience and even legends from yesteryear combine to help form your thoughts about a race. But since this is the first time we’ve had a team time trial in the world championships, at least in this format, it is going to be a new experience.
Yet for all the novelty and the 40 teams racing, this will be a race that should be decided between just a few squads.
The Route: The Netherlands, as in “nether”, meaning low. But it’s not all flat, the very south of the country borders the Ardennes and there are some short hills on the route today. These climbs are not long, nor steep but they are disruptive to the flow of team trying to pace itself over more than 50km.
The roads have suburban feel, often lined by houses with tidy front gardens. There are several 90° bends and the roads twist and turn meaning if the wind gets up then teams must adapt their formation to the changing nature of the course; what is crosswind one minute is a headwind the next. But see the forecast below, it looks fine.
Instead the hills remain the main difficulty because teams of six must pace themselves at the speed of the slower riders. By the time a rider has let a gap open up to the riders ahead it is too late as they’re in the red. Baggage.
The Format: 40 teams of six riders with the time taken for the fourth rider to cross the line.
Do they all get rainbow jerseys? No. See Thursday’s The Worlds Team Time Trial Explained for more on the format.
The Contenders: it’s an awkward contest because a lot of the best riders aren’t here. Take Team Sky who won’t have their time trial experts like Wiggins, Froome, Rogers or Porte. But you only win if you show up.
Instead I see Omega Pharma-Quickstep as the obvious pick. They come with Tom Boonen, Sylvain Chavanel, Tony Martin, Niki Terpstra, Kristof Vandewalle and Peter Velits. All are very strong rouleurs, Tom Boonen is not a noted specialist but should cope fine whilst Tony Martin is the obvious engine although we don’t know what state of form Sylvain Chavanel is in.
Next, I’d put BMC Racing (Taylor Phinney, Marco Pinotti, Manuel Quinziato, Tejay van Garderen, Alessandro Ballan, Philippe Gilbert) and Orica-Greenedge (Sam Bewley, Luke Durbridge, Sebastian Langeveld, Cameron Meyer, Jens Mouris, Svein Tuft) because both have a solid mix of time trial specialists and team mates capable of holding their wheels but if I had to choose I’d put BMC Racing ahead. As Gilbert promises not to attack on Cauberg.
Team Sky (Edvald Boasson Hagen, Alex Dowsett, Juan Antonio Flecha, Sergio Luis Henao, Ian Stannard, Geraint Thomas) aren’t here with their A-team as mentioned but it’s still a strong squad. Garmin-Sharp (as yet unannounced six from Bauer, Dekker, Maaskant, Martin, Millar, Navardauskas, Rosseler, Talansky and Vansummeren has a team culture that’s built on the TTT discipline but the bookies have them as outsiders. I’m not so sure, they riders are all fast and above all, balanced.
Talking of the odds, Astana are 100-1 but come with some proven time triallists like Brajkovic, Kessiakoff, Kangert, Grivko and more. The same is true for Katusha, although to a lesser extent. And don’t forget home advantage for Rabobank and their strong team and Vacansoleil-DCM for whom riding a constant pace for an hour seems against the team culture.
But remember only the winners get prizes, unlike a stage race where finishing second or third can be a very satisfying result, here there’s little at stake.
The Women’s TTT: as someone who normally covers men’s racing, this feels like treading in deeper water but then again, the choices seem obvious. Team Specialized Lululemon and Orica-AIS look set to battle like they did in Vårgårda, Sweden for the TTT round of the Women’s World Cup. The US team got the better of the Australia squad by 28 seconds. Rabobank and AA-Drink both have strong riders but their time will come in the individual time trial and road races with the likes of Marianne Vos and Emma Pooley, who is excellent agains the clock but surely a hard wheel to follow given her size.
Note if you’re feeling generous that Team Specialized Lululemon are using the race to raise money.
When: women’s race is 11.00-Midday and the men’s race is 1.30-4.4opm Euro time. Scroll down to the bottom of this page for a full start list.
Weather: mild weather sunshine. Temperatures will reach 23°C (73°F) and only a light breeze is expected.
TV: the men’s race is being shown live from 3.30-5.00pm Euro time but check with your local broadcaster.
Local Food & Drink: the Limburg province is known for its fruit and these are often boiled down into a thick black syrup that is more like a paste called Appelstroop, literally apple syrup. It is spread on bread for breakfast and because it is so reduced, it’s reasonably high in iron. If a sweet breakfast isn’t for you then there are several breweries in the area, including the well-named Gulpener beer although it’s name is not a hint for what to do with it, instead it’s from the town of Gulpen… which sits on the river Gulp.
Women’s TTT Startlist
11:00 Sengers Ladies Cycling Team
11:04 SC Michela Fanini Rox
11:08 Lotto-Belisol Ladies
11:12 Hitec Products-Mistral Home Cycling Team
11:16 Be Pink
11:20 Skil-Argos
11:24 Dolmans-Boels Cyclingteam
11:28 RusVelo
11:32 AA Drink-Leontien.nl Cycling Team
11:36 Rabobank Women Cycling TEam
11:40 Orica-AIS
11:44 Team Specialized-Lululemon
Men’s TTT Startlist
13:30:00 MTN QHUBEKA
316 VENTER Jacobus
315 VAN NIEKERK Dennis
314 RUSSOM Meron
313 POTGIETER Bradley
312 JANSE VAN RENSBURG Reinardt
311 JANSE VAN RENSBURG Jacques
13:34:00 CAJA RURAL
306 RYABKIN Alexander
305 PIEDRA PEREZ Antonio
304 FERRARI BARCELO Fabricio
303 DOMAGALSKI Karol
302 BROCO Hernani
301 ARAMENDIA LORENTE Francisco Javier
13:38:00 ADRIA MOBIL
296 ROGINA Radoslav
295 MUGERLI Matej
294 KUMP Marko
293 GNEZDA Matej
292 FAJT Kristjan
291 DURASEK Kristijan
13:42:00 CCC POLSAT POLKOWICE
286 TACIAK Mateusz
285 RUTKIEWICZ Marek
284 MIHAYLOV Nikolay
283 MATYSIAK Bartlomiej
282 KIENDYS Tomasz
281 GAWRONSKI Piotr
13:46:00 TIK ITERA – KATUSHA
276 ZAKARIN Ilnur
275 SOLOMENNIKOV Andrei
274 RYBAKOV Alexander
273 POKIDOV Maxim
272 KOSYAKOV Dmitriy
271 KOCHETKOV Pavel
13:50:00 TEAM OPTUM PRESENTED BY KELLY BENEFIT STRATEGIES
266 ZWIZANSKI Scott
265 ZIRBEL Thomas
264 MUMFORD Jonathan
263 FRIEDMAN Michael
262 CREED Michael
261 ANTHONY Jesse
13:54:00 SAUR – SOJASUN
256 POUX Paul
255 MANGEL Laurent
254 LEMOINE Cyril
253 FEILLU Brice
252 ENGOULVENT Jimmy
251 BESSY Cyril
13:58:00 RABOBANK CONTINENTAL TEAM
246 ZEPUNTKE Ruben
245 ZABEL Rick
244 VAN POPPEL Danny
243 OLIVIER Daan
242 HOFLAND Moreno
241 BOVENHUIS Jasper
14:02:00 COFIDIS, LE CREDIT EN LIGNE
236 ZINGLE Romain
235 VALENTIN Tristan
234 TAARAMAE Rein
233 GHYSELINCK Jan
232 GARCIA ECHEGUIBEL Egoitz
231 FOUCHARD Julien
14:06:00 ACQUA & SAPONE
226 REDA Francesco
225 NAPOLITANO Danilo
224 MIHOLJEVIC Vladimir
223 DI PAOLO Francesco
222 CODOL Massimo
221 CIAVATTA Paolo
14:10:00 TEAM TYPE 1 – SANOFI
216 VERSCHOOR Martijn
215 ROSSKOPF Joseph
214 PREIDLER Georg
213 MEGIAS LEAL Javier
212 BODROGI Laszlo
211 BERTOGLIATI Rubens
14:14:00 TOPSPORT VLAANDEREN – MERCATOR
206 VANSPEYBROUCK Pieter
205 VAN HOECKE Gijs
204 NEIRYNCK Stijn
203 JACOBS Pieter
202 DE VREESE Laurens
201 ARMEE Sander
14:18:00 EUSKALTEL – EUSKADI
196 VERDUGO MARCOTEGUI Gorka
195 SICARD Romain
194 MINGUEZ AYALA Miguel
193 IZAGUIRRE INSAUSTI Ion
192 IZAGUIRRE INSAUSTI Gorka
191 ASTARLOZA CHAURREAU Mikel
14:22:00 AG2R LA MONDIALE
186 ROCHE Nicolas
185 RIBLON Christophe
184 PERAUD Jean-christophe
183 MONTAGUTI Matteo
182 GEORGES Sylvain
181 BOUET Maxime
14:26:00 FDJ-BIGMAT
176 SOUPE Geoffrey
175 ROY Jeremy
174 ROUX Anthony
173 LADAGNOUS Matthieu
172 CASAR Sandy
171 BOUCHER David
14:30:00 RUSVELO
166 SEROV Alexander
165 OVECHKIN Artem
164 KOZONTCHUK Dmitry
163 KAYKOV Valery
162 FIRSANOV Sergey
161 ERSHOV Artur
14:34:00 TEAM ARGOS – SHIMANO
156 TIMMER Albert
155 SPRICK Matthieu
154 SINKELDAM Ramon
153 KLUGE Roger
152 GRETSCH Patrick
151 DE BACKER Bert
14:38:00 LAMPRE – ISD
146 VIGANO Davide
145 PIETROPOLLI Daniele
144 PETACCHI Alessandro
143 MALORI Adriano
142 CIMOLAI Davide
141 BONO Matteo
14:42:00 LOTTO BELISOL TEAM
136 ROELANDTS Jurgen
135 HANSEN Adam
134 DEBUSSCHERE Jens
133 DE CLERCQ Bart
132 BILLE Gaetan
131 BAK Lars Ytting
14:46:00 LIQUIGAS-CANNONDALE
126 SAGAN Peter
125 PATERSKI Maciej
124 NIBALI Vincenzo
123 KOREN Kristijan
122 DALL’ANTONIA Tiziano
121 BODNAR Maciej
14:50:00 ASTANA PRO TEAM
116 MURAVYEV Dmitriy
115 KANGERT Tanel
114 GRUZDEV Dmitriy
113 GRIVKO Andriy
112 DYACHENKO Alexsandr
111 BAZAYEV Assan
14:54:00 VACANSOLEIL-DCM PRO CYCLING TEAM
106 WESTRA Lieuwe
105 MARCZYNSKI Tomasz
104 MARCATO Marco
103 LARSSON Gustav
102 KEIZER Martijn
101 DE GENDT Thomas
14:58:00 TEAM SAXO BANK-TINKOFF BANK
96 TOSATTO Matteo
95 TANNER David
94 SORENSEN Nicki
93 ROBERTS Luke
92 MORKOV Michael
91 BOARO Manuele
15:02:00 MOVISTAR TEAM
86 PLAZA MOLINA Ruben
85 KIRYIENKA Vasil
84 KARPETS Vladimir
83 GUTIERREZ PALACIOS Jose Ivan
82 CASTROVIEJO NICOLAS Jonathan
81 AMADOR BAKKAZAKOVA Andrey
15:06:00 KATUSHA TEAM
76 VORGANOV Eduard
75 SMUKULIS Gatis
74 MENCHOV Denis
73 KUCHYNSKI Aliaksandr
72 GUSEV Vladimir
71 BELKOV Maxim
15:10:00 RABOBANK CYCLING TEAM
66 SANCHEZ GIL Luis Leon
65 KELDERMAN Wilco
64 GESINK Robert
63 FLENS Rick
62 CLEMENT Stef
61 BOOM Lars
15:14:00 RADIOSHACK-NISSAN
56 ZUBELDIA AGIRRE Haimar
55 VOIGT Jens
54 SERGENT Jesse
53 POPOVYCH Yaroslav
52 KLODEN Andreas
51 GALLOPIN Tony
15:18:00 GARMIN – SHARP
46 VAN SUMMEREN Johan
45 TALANSKY Andrew
44 NAVARDAUSKAS Ramunas
43 MAASKANT Martijn
42 DEKKER Thomas
41 BAUER Jack
15:22:00 OMEGA PHARMA-QUICKSTEP
36 VELITS Peter
35 VANDEWALLE Kristof
34 TERPSTRA Niki
33 MARTIN Tony
32 CHAVANEL Sylvain
31 BOONEN Tom
15:26:00 BMC RACING TEAM
26 VAN GARDEREN Tejay
25 QUINZIATO Manuel
24 PINOTTI Marco
23 PHINNEY Taylor
22 GILBERT Philippe
21 BALLAN Alessandro
15:30:00 ORICA GreenEDGE
16 TUFT Svein
15 MOURIS Jens
14 MEYER Cameron
13 LANGEVELD Sebastian
12 DURBRIDGE Luke
11 BEWLEY Sam
15:34:00 SKY PROCYCLING
6 THOMAS Geraint
5 STANNARD Ian
4 HENAO MONTOYA Sergio Luis
3 FLECHA GIANNONI Juan Antonio
2 DOWSETT Alex
1 BOASSON HAGEN Edvald
Brajkovic and Kessiakoff will not ride the TTT for Astana. Agree ón your top-3, but have OPQ in 3rd.
Thanks for the info. It’s frustrating not to have a startsheet before the race… it has just been published and the departure order is listed above now.
No non pro tour team from Oceania? I thought I read somewhere there would be Asian tour teams as well
There are only 31 men’s teams listed above, so I think some are not shown.