photo credit @ UCI/Twitter
Vasil Kiryienka (Belarus) commenced a searing late surge to win the elite men’s time-trial title at the UCI Road World Championships in Richmond, Virginia today.
Kiryienka stopped the clock at 1:00:29 after finishing the 53 kilometer course – nine seconds faster than runner-up Adriano Malori, of Italy, and 26 seconds in front of third-placed Jerome Coppel, of France.
The leading pair had been dead even when they turned onto the last climb during the final kilometer, but while Malori struggled on the incline, Kiryienka tore into the ascent and pulled out a decisive gap.
It was the biggest win of the 34-year-old Team Sky rider’s career, having finished in the top four in the world time trial in the past four years.
All of the three pre-race favorites suffered difficult days, with the Netherlands’ Tom Dumoulin finishing 00:01:01 down in fifth, Australia’s Rohan Dennis 00:01:07 back in sixth and three-time champion Tony Martin a further 9 seconds off the pace in seventh.
Kiryienka said: “It’s not incredible. I planned this. It’s great to see some of the riders I have beaten here. I just want to spare a thought for my team, Sky, and what they have done for me. I couldn’t have done it without their staff and their support.
“There is so many things to consider – the aerodynamics, your physical state – and then it all comes down to delivering.”
Kiryienka was the fastest rider at all three intermediate checkpoints on the course, but at one point, it looked as though he may have started too fast.
Indeed, having led Malori by 27 seconds at the first split and then 24 seconds at the second split, he began to slow down and was only 11 seconds ahead with 13 kilometers to go.
With one kilometer to go, Malori was even with Kiryienka, but the Italian rider then began to fade, while his rival found a second wind on the climb – subsequently riding into his first rainbow jersey.
Back on the course, Martin and Dumoulin both started badly and never recovered, while Dennis began well but saw his chances all but ended by a puncture midway along the course.
photo credit @ Richmond2015
Top 25 Riders Name (Country) Team Result 1 Vasil Kiryienka (Belarus) 1:02:29 2 Adriano Malori (Italy) 0:00:09 3 Jerome Coppel (France) 0:00:26 4 Jonathan Castroviejo (Spain) 0:00:29 5 Tom Dumoulin (Netherlands) 0:01:02 6 Rohan Dennis (Australia) 0:01:08 7 Tony Martin (Germany) 0:01:17 8 Maciej Bodnar (Poland) 0:01:17 9 Marcin Bialoblocki (Poland) 0:01:22 10 Moreno Moser (Italy) 0:01:32 11 Jan Barta (Czech Republic) 0:01:34 12 Taylor Phinney (United States Of America) 0:01:37 13 Oliveira Santos (Portugal) 0:01:52 14 Stephen Cummings (Great Britain) 0:01:59 15 Michael Hepburn (Australia) 0:01:59 16 Matthias Brandle (Austria) 0:02:00 17 Alex Dowsett (Great Britain) 0:02:07 18 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Belgium) 0:02:16 19 Stefan Kueng (Switzerland) 0:02:18 20 Luke Durbridge (Australia) 0:02:18 21 Rasmus Quaade (Denmark) 0:02:19 22 Lawson Craddock (United States Of America) 0:02:27 23 Wilco Kelderman (Netherlands) 0:02:31 24 Andriy Grivko (Ukraine) 0:02:32 25 Hugo Houle (Canada) 0:02:36
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