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World Road Championships - CM

Salzburg, Austria, September 20-24, 2006

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Race 1 - September 21: Women's individual time trial, 26.12km

Live report

Live Commentary by Jeff Jones, with additional reporting from Hedwig Kröner and Kristy Scrymgeour

Live coverage starts: 12:00 CEST
Estimated finish: 16:00 CEST

12:01 CEST   
Welcome to Salzburg for the 2006 World Road Championships. The opening event is the women's time trial, held over 26.12 km on a testing, slightly technical course starting and finishing near the centre of town. The weather today is perfect for racing, with temperatures in the mid-20s and very little wind. That's a relief for the riders, who were worried about the conditions yesterday when it was raining for most of the day.

The first of 39 riders off today is Magdalena Zamolska (Poland), who will be followed at a one and a half minute interval by Silvia Valsecchi (Italy). Defending champion Karin Thürig (Switzerland) will set off at 12:57.

12:04 CEST   
As the bells toll for midday, Maribel Moreno Allue (Spain) leaves the start house at 12:03.

12:05 CEST   
Valsecchi gets into a steady rhythm as she tackles the opening part of the course, which is mostly uphill.

12:08 CEST   
An Van Rie (Belgium) is the fifth rider to leave, and is chasing Lada Kozlikova (Czech Republic). Meanwhile, Maribel Moreno Allue is cranking it over, trying to keep her tempo without overcooking it in the first half.

Linda Villumsen (Denmark) is next to go.

12:11 CEST   
Villumsen, who is still only 21, won a stage at the Ster Zeeuwsche Eilanden as well as both the Danish road and time trial championship and the Route de France feminin.

Loes Gunnewijk, clad in a very orange outfit 'cos she's Dutch, is next to leave.

12:13 CEST   
Gunnewijk was recently second to Kristin Armstrong (USA) in the TT stage of the Euregio Ladies tour.

Blaza Klemencic (Slovenia) is next to depart. Italian Silvia Valsecchi is pedaling well on a steady climb out of town.

12:15 CEST   
Anne Samplonius (Canada), who retired for a time, is on her way. She's followed by Baerbel Jungmeier (Austria).

12:18 CEST   
Valsecchi reaches the top of the first climb and now starts to pick up speed on the fast descent before another steep climb. Zamolska is further ahead, and reaches the 10.1 km point in around 17'55. Valsecchi is quicker in 17'03.

12:22 CEST   
But Zamolska's time is smashed by Valsecchi, then Allue, then Lada Kozlikova (Czech Republic), who reaches the 10.1 km mark in an impressive 15.27. That's a great time, as this first part is all uphill.

12:25 CEST   
An Van Rie (Belgium) reaches the summit of the climb in 16'52, the third best time. Next up is Villumsen in 16'07, for the second best time. Still, Kozlikova has the best ride to the 10.1 km mark in 15'27.

Villumsen starts the descent, which has a few little lumps in it.

12:26 CEST   
Valsecchi is at the turnaround now, and will look forward to the run home, which is mostly downhill.

Loes Gunnewijk is up to 10.1 km in 16'27, third best so far.

12:28 CEST   
Meifang Li (People's Republic of China) comes up to the top of the climb in a ridiculous gear. She can barely turn it at the summit. She's fifth best in 16'38.

Australian TT champion Kathryn Watt starts her ride, looking extremely nervous.

12:29 CEST   
Kozlikova is on the downhill run into town, trying to extract as much speed as possible out of her legs.

Edwige Pitel (France) is next off.

12:31 CEST   
Now Local favourite Christiane Soeder (Austria) is on the start ramp. She's a strong rider, and looks very eager to get going. She's off, to generous applause.

Samplonius is at 10.1 km in 16'29 for fourth best.

12:33 CEST   
Danish rider Trine Hansen has a flat tyre, and although she gets a quick change, it will cost her on this short course.

Canadian Alex Wrubleski is on her way, followed by Urte Juodvalkyte (Lithuania), who has her fingernails painted in red, yellow and green.

12:34 CEST   
Tereza Hurikova (Czech Republic) grinds up to the top of the climb in 16'11 for third best today. Her compatriot Kozlikova holds the best mark in 15'27.

12:36 CEST   
Kozlikova is catching both Maribel Moreno Allue (1'30 ahead of her) and Magdalena Zamolska (Poland), who started 4'30 ahead. Impressive.

Priska Doppmann (Switzerland) sets off now.

12:39 CEST   
Kozlikova is having a great ride to the finish, and will easily get the quickest time. She'll catch Valsecchi next.

Christine Thorburn (USA), the first of three American riders, sets off now. She rode well last year and finished eighth in Madrid. Next to go is Oenone Wood (Australia).

12:41 CEST   
But Valsecchi will make it to the finish ahead of Kozlikova. The Italian finishes in 38'37, an average of 40.58 km/h. Kozlikova is close behind in a much better 36'010 (43.287 km/h). Then Moreno in 37'54 and Zamolska in around 39'50.

12:45 CEST   
An Van Rie (Belgium) finishes in 38'00, then Linda Villumsen (Denmark) in 36'52 for second best.

12:47 CEST   
Soeder is having a good ride, although she's pedaling a very big gear on the climb. She passes 10.1 km in 15'53 for second best behind Kozlikova.

Gunnewijk finishes her ride in 37'30.

12:50 CEST   
Meifang Li (People's Republic of China) is in the home straight now, but takes a wrong turn and has to turn around. Oops. She finishes in 37'49 for fourth, but lost a good 20 seconds.

German Judith Arndt is next to go, followed by Ljungskog.

Paulina Brzezna (Poland) is riding in the company of another couple of riders.

12:51 CEST   
Trixi Worrack (Germany) passes Juodvalkyte on the climb, then crosses the 10.1 km point in 16'07.

Anne Samplonius (Canada) finishes her ride in 37'26 for third so far.

12:54 CEST   
Christine Thorburn (USA) is at the 10.1 km mark in 15'46, third best time. Meanwhile, Kristin Armstrong (USA), Nicole Brändli (Swi) and Nicole Cooke (GBr) have started.

12:55 CEST   
Austrian Jungmeier finishes in 39'29 for 10th, while Hurikova has had a great second half to finish in 36'40.

Wood is struggling on the climb and won't be among the best today, as she's well over 16'00.

12:57 CEST   
So it's Czech Republic first and second at the moment at the finish, with Kozlikova and Hurikova in the top positions.

Defending champion Karin Thürig (Switzerland) is ready to go, looking a little anxious. She will be chasing Zulfiya Zabirova (Kazakhstan). She gets the countdown, and sets off.

12:58 CEST   
Trine Hansen, who punctured, finishes in 38'26 and is just inside the top 10. Meanwhile, Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli (France) is at the top of the climb in 16'24 for 10th.

12:59 CEST   
Amber Neben, the second of three American riders, tops the climb in 16'02 for fifth best.

13:02 CEST   
Doppmann is on the homeward run, and will try to preserve her second place to the finish. But she'll have a hard time beating Kozlikova.

Karin Thürig has settled into her rhythm, and looks very powerful on the bike.

Boyarskaya completes the course in 36'39.92, just a little bit quicker than Hurikova for second provisionally.

13:03 CEST   
Longo is now navigating the middle part of the course leading up to the turnaround. She is still pretty quick at 47 years old.

13:06 CEST   
Arndt, clad in the slightly odd German colours of red and black, crosses the summit in 16'10, well out of the top five.

Kathy Watt ends her ride in 38'20 for 10th so far. She is followed by Pitel in 37'14.

13:09 CEST   
Kristin Armstrong is having a great ride, and crosses the 10.1 km mark in 15'34, just seven seconds slower than pace setter Kozlikova.

Austrian Christiane Soeder finishes in 37'00 for fifth.

Brändli is at the top of the climb in 16'12, outside the top 10.

13:10 CEST   
Nicole Cooke (GBr) is powering up the climb, really fighting with her bike, but going quick enough. She is at the summit in 15'49 for 5th.

13:11 CEST   
Worrack is the first German rider to finish and has done a great second half to finish in 36'23. She was outside the top five at 10.1 km. She promptly collapses.

13:12 CEST   
Priska Doppmann (Switzerland) is flying too! New best time in 35'59.98!!

Zabirova is at the summit in 15'57.53, not in the top five.

13:15 CEST   
Doppmann can't celebrate for long, as American Christine Thorburn has also had a great second half to finish in 35'34 for the new best time!

Thürig is past 10.1 km in 15'41 for third best. Let's see what she does over the second half.

13:16 CEST   
Brändli reaches the turnaround point and heads for home. Meanwhile, Thorburn takes off her helmet and finds herself in the hotseat. She was fifth best at halfway, but there are still some fast riders to come.

13:17 CEST   
Oenone Wood (Australia) is home in 38'06, 14 seconds quicker than Watt, but still outside the top 10.

13:19 CEST   
Italian Guderzo rides up the finishing straight to record a time of 37'40 for 12th so far. Longo will be next in. The French veteran has had a fairly good ride and ends in 37'23 for 10th.

13:20 CEST   
Amber Neben is home in fifth in 36'31. Not bad, but she will probably finish a few places down on last year, when she was fifth at the end.

13:22 CEST   
Brändli has a nice rhythm as she tackles the second half of the course. Bubnenkova doesn't, but she's near the end. She makes a token effort to get on the aero bars, but prefers the elbows out position on the cowhorns. Her time is 37'10.

13:23 CEST   
Karin Thürig (Switzerland) makes good advantage of her size and power on the downhill, and is flying back into town. She will definitely challenge Thorburn for the win today. So will Armstrong.

13:24 CEST   
Armstrong is coming back towards the finish too, and is on the flatter section of the course.

Judith Arndt has ridden better in the second half and clocks 36'09 at the end. She's followed in by Edita Pucinskaite, who must have lost 1'30 to Arndt.

13:26 CEST   
Armstrong is flying! She has had a strong second half and will knock her teammate out of the top position.

Yes she does. Her final time is 35'04 for 44.638 km/h!!

13:27 CEST   
Two US riders occupy the top two placings, and really only Thürig can threaten for the gold medal.

Ljungskog finishes in around 11th position.

13:28 CEST   
Zabirova looks powerful as she navigates the final part of the course. Brändli is in the final kilometre, but won't be one of the top times today.

13:30 CEST   
Brändli's time is 36'46 for a top 10. But Nicole Cooke will do better. The Brit finishes in 36'00 for fourth. No medal for her today.

13:31 CEST   
Zabirova, the second last rider, powers around the final few corners and ends in 36'03 for fifth. One more rider to come...

13:33 CEST   
Karin Thürig (Switzerland) can't beat Armstrong! She finishes in 35'30 to take the silver medal. Armstrong gold, Thorburn bronze - great result from the American riders today.

13:36 CEST   
Interestingly, Lada Kozlikova, who finished with the best time at 10.1 km, ended up eighth best at the end. Armstrong had an amazing second half to erase the seven second deficit to Kozlikova and put another 1'06 into her on the downhill.

The final top three: 1 Kristin Armstrong (USA) in 35.04, 2 Karin Thürig (Switzerland) at 0'25, 3 Christine Thorburn (USA) at 0'30.

That's all from the TT course in Salzburg. See you back here in 25 minutes for the U23 men's time trial.

Intermediate timing

km 10.1 (all riders through)
 
1 Lada Kozlikova (Czech Republic)            15.27
2 Kristin Armstrong (USA)                     0.07
3 Karin Thürig (Switzerland)                  0.14
4 Priska Doppmann (Switzerland)               0.18
5 Christine Thorburn (USA)                    0.19
 
Finish - 26.12 km
 
1 Kristin Armstrong (USA)                    35.04
2 Karin Thürig (Switzerland)                  0.26
3 Christine Thorburn (USA)                    0.30
4 Priska Doppmann (Switzerland)               0.55
5 Nicole Cooke (Great Britain)                0.56
6 Zulfiya Zabirova (Kazakhstan)               0.59
7 Judith Arndt (Germany)                      1.05
8 Lada Kozlikova (Czech Republic)             1.06
9 Trixi Worrack (Germany)                     1.19
10 Amber Neben (USA)                          1.27
11 Natalia Boyarskaya (Russian Federation)    1.35
12 Tereza Hurikova (Czech Republic)           1.36
13 Nicole Braendli (Switzerland)              1.42

 

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