Event previews: Time Trial

Start list Past winners

Grand finale: The race of truth

By Jeff Jones

The last of the cycling events in Sydney are the men's and women's time trials, commencing at 9:00am on Saturday, September 30. Both are run over laps of a similar course to the road race, with the main differences being the addition of several corners in Centennial Park, and the cutting out of the Bronte descent and climb. The women will do two 15.6 kilometre laps (31.2 km) while the men do three laps for a total 46.8 kilometres.

The 24 women will set off at 90 second intervals and will go in two waves of 12 to avoid confusion with riders coming through for their second lap. The first group goes off at 9:00, and the second at 9:50, with the best riders starting last. Total times should be between 43 and 50 minutes for this type of course.

The defending champion is Russian Zulfia Zabirova, and she has showed some good form in the leadup to the Games winning the Tour de Suisse Femenin (August 30-September 2), aided by the very strong Acca Due O team. She will start last (at 10:06:30) but will have to try and catch Dutchwoman Leontien Zijlaard-Van Moorsel (10:05:00) who has two gold and one silver from three events in these Olympics. Despite dismissing her form at regular intervals, Van Moorsel is fooling nobody and has good handling skills to go with her incredible speed. The only question is whether she is tired from the race on Tuesday.

Third to last starter (10:03:30) will be German Hanka Kupfernagel, a noted time trialist and classy all round rider, and also in good form. Australia's Anna Wilson will be chased by the German, as she starts at 10:02:00. She would dearly love to add a medal to her Olympic campaign, but it will arguably be a tougher task than the road race.

Frenchwoman Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli (10:01:30) is surely riding her last Olympics and could easily pull off a podium ride. She is always dangerous by herself and the conditions should suit her more, with the prediction for warm sunny weather.

Others to watch out for in the field include Karen Kurreck (USA - 9:06:00), Tracey Gaudry (Aus - 9:07:30), Yvonne McGregor (GBr - 9:13:30), Diana Ziliute (Ltu - 9:53:00), Mari Holden (USA - 9:54:30) and Joane Somarriba (Spa - 9:56:00), Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu - 9:59:00)

The men's event gets underway at midday, with 38 riders on the starting sheet. The three laps should take 57 minutes for the fastest rider, and there will be some overlapping even though there are three waves of riders.

Last to start is World Champion Jan Ullrich (14:31:30) who already has one Olympic Gold medal, and would love to gain another one in his specialty event. Most have him rated as second at the moment for two reasons: a) the technical course and b) Lance Armstrong. The American has made no pretense that this is his last major goal of the season and has prepared for it in his usual meticulous manner. He will start second last at 14:30:00 and will be chasing Spaniard Abraham Olano.

Olano has had a mixed year, although with more success than in previous years, especially in the early half of the season. He finished the Vuelta along with his Spanish and ONCE teammate, Santos Gonzales and each rider won one of the time trials. He is considered a threat but Gonzales (14:16:30) may upstage him with his excellent handling skills.

The Ukraine's Serhiy Honchar will precede Olano at 14:27:00, however he has not shown brilliant form of late. On the other hand, Frenchman Laurent Jalabert (14:25:30) is always strong against the clock but may be upstaged by his teammate, Christophe Moreau (13:23:00).

Others to look out for included Canada's Eric Wohlberg (12:09:00) who could well be the early pace setter; Australia's Nathan O'Neill (13:09:30), David Millar (GBr - 13:17:00), Michael Andersson (Swe - 13:18:30), Chris Boardman (13:26:00), Alex Zuelle (14:19:30), Andreas Kloeden (Ger - 14:21:00), Raivis Belohvosciks (Lat - 14:22:30) and Tyler Hamilton (USA - 14:24:00)

Both events will be covered live by cyclingnews.com

Complete Starting List

Women

Start time   Number/Rider

Group 1:

9:00:00      24 Ceris Gilfillan (GBr)
9:01:30      23 Teodora Ruano (Spa)
9:03:00      22 Solrun Flataas (Nor)
9:04:30      21 Olga Slioussareva (Rus)
9:06:00      20 Karen Kurreck (USA)
9:07:30      19 Tracey Gaudry (Aus)
9:09:00      18 Tetyana Stiajkina (Ukr)
9:10:30      17 Catherine Marsal (Fra)
9:12:00      16 Alessandra Cappellotto (Ita)
9:13:30      15 Yvonne McGregor (GBr)
9:15:00      14 Nicole Braendli (Swi)
9:16:30      13 Clara Hughes (Can)

Group 2:

9:50:00      12 Mirjam Melchers (Ned)
9:51:30      11 Judith Arndt (Ger)
9:53:00      10 Diana Ziliute (Ltu)
9:54:30      9 Mari Holden (USA)
9:56:00      8 Joane Somarriba Arrola (Spa)
9:57:30      7 Genevieve Jeanson (Can)
9:59:00      6 Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu)
10:00:30     5 Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli (Fra)
10:02:00     4 Anna Wilson (Aus)
10:03:30     3 Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger)
10:05:00     2 Leontien Zijlaard-Van Moorsel (Ned)
10:06:30     1 Zoulfia Zabirova (Rus)

Men

Start time   Number/Rider

Group 1:

12:00:00     38 Amr El Nady (Egy)
12:01:30     37 Vitor Gamito (Por)
12:03:00     36 Dainis Ozols (Lat)
12:04:30     35 Lauri Aus (Est)
12:06:00     34 Rene Haselbacher (Aut)
12:07:30     33 Tomas Konecny (Cze)
12:09:00     32 Eric Wohlberg (Can)
12:10:30     31 Sergiy Matveyev (Ukr)
12:12:00     30 Evgeny Wacker (Kgz)
12:13:30     29 Arturas Kasputis (Ltu)
12:15:00     28 Michael Sandstod (Den)
12:16:30     27 Evgueni Petrov (Rus)
12:18:00     26 Koos Moerenhout (Ned)

Group 2:

13:08:00     25 Martin Rittsel (Swe)
13:09:30     24 Nathan O'Neill (Aus)
13:11:00     23 Andrei Teteriouk (Kaz)
13:12:30     22 Martin Hvastija (Slo)
13:14:00     21 Thor Hushovd (Nor)
13:15:30     20 Piotr Wadecki (Pol)
13:17:00     19 David Millar (GBr)
13:18:30     18 Michael Andersson (Swe)
13:20:00     17 Erik Dekker (Ned)
13:21:30     16 Raimondas Rumsas (Ltu)
13:23:00     15 Christophe Moreau (Fra)
13:24:30     14 Viacheslav Ekimov (Rus)
13:26:00     13 Chris Boardman (GBr)

Group 3:

14:15:00     12 Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz)
14:16:30     11 Santos Gonzalez Capilla (Spa)
14:18:00     10 Victor Hugo Pena (Col)
14:19:30     9 Alex Zuelle (Swi)
14:21:00     8 Andreas Kloeden (Ger)
14:22:30     7 Raivis Belohvosciks (Lat)
14:24:00     6 Tyler Hamilton (USA)
14:25:30     5 Laurent Jalabert (Fra)
14:27:00     4 Serhiy Honchar (Ukr)
14:28:30     3 Abraham Olano (Spa)
14:30:00     2 Lance Armstrong (USA)
14:31:30     1 Jan Ullrich (Ger)

Past winners

Individual Time Trial

Men                              Women

1996 Atlanta:                    1996 Atlanta:

1. Miguel Indurain, Spain        1. Zulfiya Zabirova, Russia
2. Abraham Olano, Spain          2. Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli (Fra)
3. Christopher Boardman (GBr)    3. Clara Hughes (Can)

1932 Los Angeles:

1. Attilo Pavesi (Ita)
2. Guglielmo Segato (Ita)
3. Bernhard Britz (Swe)

1928 Amsterdam:

1. Henry Hansen (Den)
2. Frank Southall (GBr)
3. Gosta Carlsson (Swe)

1924 Paris:

1. Armand Blanchonnet (Fra)
2. Henri Hoevenaers (Bel)
3. Rene Hamel (Fra)

1920 Antwerp:

1. Harry Stenqvist (Swe)
2. Henry Kaltenbrun (RSA)
3. Fernand Canteloube (Fra)

1912 Stockholm:

1. Rudolph "Okey" Lewis (RSA)
2. Frederick Grubb (GBr)
3. Carl Schutte (USA)

Previews - Track - MTB - Road - Time Trial

Event previews: Time Trial

Grand finale: The race of truth

Complete Starting List

Past winners

Previews
- Track
- MTB
- Road
- Time Trial