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Dauphiné Libéré
Photo ©: Sirotti

World Road Championships - CM

Salzburg, Austria, September 20-24, 2006

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Race 3 - September 21: Elite men's individual time trial, 50.84 km

Live report

Live Commentary by Jeff Jones and Laura Weislo, with additional reporting from Hedwig Kröner

Live coverage starts: 14:00 CEST
Estimated finish: 16:00 CEST

13:36 CEST   
Welcome to downtown Salzburg on a bright, sunny afternoon for the elite men's time trial, the third race on the world championships program. It's a perfect day for racing, with temps in the mid-20s and no wind. The elite men have the longest course, although the start and finish are the same as the women and U23 men. The 50.83 km loop takes them north of the city out to Matsee, then around the Obertrumer See and back along the same route as the U23 men rode yesterday.

The first starters are already away, with Erik Hoffmann (Namibia), Benoît Vaugrenard (France), Svein Tuft (Canada) and Csaba Szekeres (Hungary) setting out from the starting house in front of a big, appreciative crowd.

13:44 CEST   
The riders are leaving at two minute intervals, with Michael Schär (Switzerland), Thomas Rohregger (Austria), David O'Loughlin (Ireland) and now Thomas Lövkvist (Sweden) under way. The latter should be one of the early favourites.

13:47 CEST   
Namibian Erik Hoffman comes up the climb at 10.1 km, clocking 15'54, while Benoit Vaugrenard is much quicker in 15'00.

Yuriy Krivstov (Ukraine) is next to start.

13:49 CEST   
Vitaly Kornilov (Latvia) gets ready to leave, and looks nervous in the starting house. He gets the countdown and sets off at a steady pace.

Svein Tuft reaches the top of the climb in 15'12, a little slower than Vaugrenard.

13:52 CEST   
Csaba Szekeres (Hungary) is not so fast up to 10.1 km, and has done 15'47, just a few seconds slower than Hoffman.

13:53 CEST   
The long, lean figure of Michael Schär (Switzerland) comes up to the first time check in 15'18 for third best.

13:55 CEST   
Local boy Thomas Rohregger (Austria) is obviously motivated, and gets to the top in 15'29, fourth best.

13:59 CEST   
O'Loughlin is over in 15'13, then Lövkvist in 14:51. Not surprisingly, that's the new best time.

14:04 CEST   
Brian Vandborg (Denmark) is having a great start, and crosses the top of the climb in 14'34, again lowering the best mark.

14:15 CEST   
Vandborg still has the best time at km 10.1, as more riders tackle the tough first part of the course. Knut Anders Fostervold (Norway) is the latest rider to start. He is 34, and only took up cycling a couple of years ago after injuring himself while playing football. He was a pro footballer with Molde Football club, part of the European Champion's League.

Pedro Nicacio (Brazil) is setting a very steady pace on the hill, but it won't net him a good time: 16'03.

14:17 CEST   
Austrian Peter Luttenberger is having a good start too, staying in the aerobars all the way up the climb to cross in 14'42.

Further along the course, Vandborg is steaming along at 80 km/h.

14:19 CEST   
Chris Baldwin (USA) is the next rider to start. His compatriots gave America a great kick off to the World's yesterday, with Kristin Armstrong and Christine Thorburn winning gold and bronze in the women's TT.

14:21 CEST   
Vaugrenard is catching Erik Hoffmann (Namibia).

14:23 CEST   
And now it's time for Finnish rider Matti Helminen to set off. He tries to go a bit early and had to pull his foot out of the pedal.

14:24 CEST   
Ryder Hesjedal (Canada) makes it to the first time split with the second fastest time so far.

14:25 CEST   
Raivis Belohvosciks (Latvia) is now on course. Vinokurov is warming up, looking very concentrated and serious on his wind trainer.

14:26 CEST   
Thomas Rohregger (AUT) is pushing a huge gear along the flatter part of the course, rocking on his machine.

14:28 CEST   
Schar comes up to the second check in the third fastest time of the day at 49:18.

14:30 CEST   
One of the surviving Austrians, Thomas Rohregger, is 4th fastest at the second check in 49:38.

14:31 CEST   
South African David George starts... and David O'Loughlin (Ireland) has set the second fastest time at check two in 48:12! Nice riding.

14:33 CEST   
Thomas Lövkvist (Sweden) crests the hill at the second check with a face twisted in pain. Chris Baldwin (USA) is at the first check in 14:45, third fastest so far.

14:35 CEST   
Now it's Ukranian Yuriy Krivtsov at the second check, who bests the time of Sven Tuft to become the next rider to be second fastest. Still, Thomas Lövkvist (Sweden) holds the best time at the second check.

14:36 CEST   
Laszlo Bodrogi is on his wind trainer, sporting an excellent cyclist's tan. He hasn't broken a sweat yet, as he still has a while before his start.

14:36 CEST   
And we have a new best time at the second check. 45:48, set by Brian Bach Vandborg (Denmark).

14:38 CEST   
Wow! That's a great ride by the Dane.

14:40 CEST   
Now Erik Hoffmann (Namibia) is sprinting all-out to the finish to avoid getting caught by Svein Tuft (Canada) who started four minutes behind Hoffman.

14:41 CEST   
Tuft finishes in 1:04:57, but Hoffman was the first starter, and thanks to his vicious sprint, the first one to finish.

14:42 CEST   
Tuft passed Vaugrenard at the line, putting two minutes into the Frenchman.

14:42 CEST   
The contenders are starting to line up at the start house, and Stijn Devolder (Belgium) pushes off.

14:43 CEST   
Vasili Kiryienka (Belarus) still holds the fastest first check at 14:21.

14:45 CEST   
Michael Schär (Switzerland) is heading to the finish, and will come in at 1:06:56.
Meanwhile, Swede Gustav Larsson is setting off from the start, looking extremely nervous. He takes a deep breath to calm the nerves, and pushes off.

14:47 CEST   
David O'Loughlin (Ireland) is finishing now sprinting all out around the last bend, then getting back into the aero bars to power to the finish. He gets the second best time at 1:05:14.

14:48 CEST   
Italian Marco Pinotti has left the start house.

14:49 CEST   
Peter Luttenberger

Thomas Lövkvist (Sweden) has bested the Irishman's time, coming in at 1:05:11, still second to Tuft.

14:51 CEST   
Now Andreas Klöden (Germany) is in the start house, sporting his usual attractive "breathe-right" strip across his nose. He sets out to strong applause from the crowd.

14:52 CEST   
Leif Hoste (Belgium) is the next rider to start off. And Brian Bach Vandborg (Denmark) is setting a very fast new best finish time at 1:02:04!

14:54 CEST   
Luttenberger has caught Pedro Nicacio (Brazil) for four minutes, that's gotta hurt. Brian Bach Vandborg collapses on the tarmac, completely spent from his effort. That just means you've done it correctly!

14:54 CEST   
As Joost Posthuma was already warming up, the press officer of the Dutch team told Cyclingnews that he would be very happy with a Top 10 result today. "Joost is a good rouleur, but he's not a specialist. He could do well and set a good time, as he has great capacities, so a Top 10 finish would already be a great result."

We also talked to Andreas Klöden (Germany) on the rollers. "I feel good, but I know very well that I won't be up for a win today. You never know how your form is from day to day after such a long season. If I do the Top 10, I will already be satisfied." Asked what would be his choice of gear, he said he had a 44-55 chain ring in front and 11-23 in the back.

14:55 CEST   
Russian Vladimir Gusev sets off from the start. Ryder Hesjedal is approaching the second check, looking strong on the hill. He's going to set the second fastest time at this check, 47:17.

14:57 CEST   
And now it's the turn of Vincenzo Nibali (Italy). He sets off with the support of some flag-waving countrymen.

Devolder is now on the hill to the first time check. He's not on a great day, and is only 5th fastest.

15:00 CEST   
Sebastian Lang (Germany) is now on course. The winner of last week's 3-Länder-Tour in Germany is obviously going well right now.

15:00 CEST   
And it's the Z-man, Dave Zabriskie (USA) who is next to set off.

15:02 CEST   
Andrey Kashechkin (Kazakhstan) starts. He's sporting the requisite three day growth of beard (blonde) and a gel tucked in the leg of his skinsuit.

15:04 CEST   
Andrey Kashechkin told Cyclingnews this morning, "I want to achieve a good result today. Now, it's only three days after finishing the Vuelta, but I feel good. I have good legs. It's true that I'm also tired, but so is everybody else. On this kind of parcours, it's like a prologue, you just have to be able to suffer and hold on. And I have the advantage of having finished the Vuelta in really good shape.

"I rode the course yesterday. It's really hard with some steep sections, too." Asked if he thought Alexandre Vinokourov could win today, he said, "yes, that's possible. There are the TT specialists like Rogers, but he could do it, still."

15:08 CEST   
Laszlo Bodrogi (Hungary) is in the house, looking very composed. Now Klöden hits the first check at a surprisingly slow time, only good for about 10th.
Meanwhile, Luttenberger (Austria) is heading for a respectable time. He'll finish second best so far to a big cheer from the crowd.

15:11 CEST   
David Millar (Great Britain) head out for his attempt at a (clean) World Championship, and is being followed by Vuelta winner Alexandr Vinokurov (Kazakhstan).
Brian Bach Vandborg's fastest intermediate time checks are still holding... We'll soon find out how he holds up to the favourites.
Andreas Klöden has been assigned number 13, and has pinned his number on upside down out of superstition.

15:15 CEST   
Ryder Hesjedal is through the finish, struggling with his bike to get across in the second fastest time: 1:04:24, just faster than Luttenberger. Mick Rogers is now on the course riding for Australia.
And Dave Zabriskie has smashed the first time check, setting a new best at 14:16!

15:19 CEST   
Flashback moment: a spectator is wearing a full Coast team kit, snapping a photo as Fabian Cancellara (Switzerland) speeds past.

15:20 CEST   
Thomas Lövkvist was a little disappointed with his ride, which has him in fifth overall at the moment. "It didn't go so well. I had a problem with my hip - it's twisted, and I straightened it out, but not to 100 percent," he told Cyclingnews. "So my left leg went numb. I've had the problem for a while now, it comes and goes - normally I keep it under control. But I crashed in Poland...

"The course is nice. If you're strong, you can go really fast. There will
be big time differences. I think the winner will have a time of 1 hour, 30
seconds maybe."

15:24 CEST   
World Hour record holder Ondrej Sosenka (Czech Republic) has a huge grimace on as he heads up the hill to the second check.

And it's Millar time at the first check, a pretty slow 14:52... maybe he's saving it.

Vinokourov has dropped his chain and nearly comes to a stop. He gets a push and tries to get back into his rhythm, but this is really going to hurt. We've seen a number of riders dropping their chains this week while trying to get into the small ring. But Vino is 14:38 at the first check, which isn't too bad. Vino's mechanic might not have done a great job setting up the bike, but he certainly made up for it by being quick out of the car!

15:26 CEST   
Cancellara is heading up to the first check, looking very strong. He's got a great rhythm, pedaling a nice, small gear. He's really flying, and will set a stellar time - 13:58!

15:29 CEST   
Raivis Belohvosciks (Latvia) is in with the third best time, really sprinting quite hard for the line. That's not easy to do at the end of a 50km time trial!

Mick Rogers (Australia) is taking it out a bit slower than Cancellara, earning the 7th fastest time at 26 seconds behind Cancellara. But Rogers is known for a strong second half, so he's looking pretty solid.

15:32 CEST   
Stijn Devolder is picking up the pace on the last part of the course, doing significantly better at the second check for fifth fastest time.

Ukranian Andriy Grivko is the third rider to break 1:03, third best behind Vandborg and Kiryienka.

15:36 CEST   
David George (South Africa) is coughing as he heads to the finish. His time isn't too bad, 1:03:34, good for fifth best.

Vandborg is still in the hot seat, waiting to see when and if his best time will fall. He's decided to relax by listening to his iPod.

15:40 CEST   
Klöden is past the second check, not looking like he's on a good day - he's well down on the lead. He looks back at his team car, and nearly loses his balance. In sharp contrast to Klöden's laboured style, Cancellara is spinning a small gear, really chugging along and a fast pace. He's certainly got good legs today.

15:47 CEST   
The climb to the second check is really a hard drag - the riders have to find a balance between getting up it quick and saving energy for the flats. If they could look behind them, they'd see a very nice view of the Overtrumer See.

Ben Day (Australia) is across the line in 7th, and Sebastian Lang is third at the second check. Devolder is in with the 5th fastest time. Now David Zabriskie is approaching the second check... and we have a new fastest time! Zabriskie is 45'09, 38" faster than Vandborg!

15:50 CEST   
Kashechkin has past the second check, but he's 9th more than a minute behind Zabriskie. He's got to be tired from his great performance at the Vuelta. Meanwhile, Cancellara is still going strong, and is catching poor José Ivan Gutierrez (Spain). Ouch.

15:56 CEST   
David Millar is way off the pace today, hitting the second check at only 46:46 and 13th best. Slightly better than his first check, but it's not looking good for the Brit.

Now Vinokurov is coming up to the time check, looking like he's recovered well from his mechanical - 45:39, and he now has the second best intermediate split. Cancellara is closing on the second check, still looking fantastic. Wow! New best time, and almost a minute faster than Zabriskie! 44'13!

16:00 CEST   
The wind has picked up for the later riders, although it doesn't seem to have hurt Cancellara.

Rogers is well off the pace at time check 2 in 45'51. No fourth world title for him.

'Seppl' Lang finishes his ride in 1'02'20 for second.

16:02 CEST   
Zabriskie is heading into the final stretch, staying low on his bars and powering his huge gear along. He grits his teeth and sprints to the line in a new best time of 1:01:41.

16:05 CEST   
Cancellara stays close to the traffic cones dividing the course, taking the shortest line possible. He still looks solid, spinning a much smaller gear than Zabriskie.

Kashechkin nearly overcooks a turn coming into the finish, but manages to steer clear of the barricades. He didn't really need that gel, as it's still in his pant leg. He won't be making the podium today, and comes across in 8th, with a 1:03:05.

16:07 CEST   
Zabriskie is in the hot seat, looking slightly nauseated? Worried? Ok, there's a smile. He's got to be a bit worried, as Cancellara is not slowing down. He's pushing a slightly bigger gear now, going over some slightly rough roads.

Vinokurov is also looking pretty good, rocking slightly as he turns over the gear. We'll see what he can do in the last leg of this challenging course.

16:11 CEST   
Millar is heading toward the line with Vinokurov hot on his heels. Millar's ride is pretty disappointing, 1:03:33 and 13th. Vino is sprinting all out - and will not get Zabriskie, but does knock a very disappointed Vandborg down a notch. 1:02:01 for the Kazakh.

16:12 CEST   
And now Cancellara is in the finish town, speeding around the corners, still under control. He's had a very consistent race today, and doesn't appear to be losing any steam. He can see the finish, and Dave Z knows he's not going to get it. Cancellara simply demolishes his time - 1:00:11!

16:17 CEST   
A superior ride by the Swiss rider. Gutierrez is done, well behind the top three, and now Rogers has already gone over Cancellara's time, so Cancellara is now the new world champion!

The Belgian commentators tell us that Cancellara sets a good example for all the young riders by stopping at all red lights during training. Nothing stopped him today, however, and he's looking pretty happy at the moment.

Mick Rogers is on the final straight, and comes in at 1:02:43 and 8th place. So our podium today is Cancellara, Zabriskie, and Vinokurov.

16:25 CEST   
That concludes our live coverage for today. Join us Saturday for live coverage of the Women's and U23 Men's road races.

Thanks for reading!

Results

km 10.1 (all riders through)
 
1 Fabian Cancellara (Switzerland)              13.58
2 David Zabriskie (United States Of America)    0.18
3 Vasili Kiryienka (Belarus)                    0.23
4 Sebastian Lang (Germany)                      0.25
5 Raivis Belohvosciks (Latvia)                  0.26
 
km 35 (all riders through)
 
1 Fabian Cancellara (Switzerland)              44.13
2 David Zabriskie (United States Of America)    0.56
3 Alexandr Vinokurov (Kazakhstan)               1.26
4 Brian Bach Vandborg (Denmark)                 1.35
5 Vasili Kiryienka (Belarus)                        
 
Finish - 50.83 km
 
1 Fabian Cancellara (Switzerland)            1.00.11
2 David Zabriskie (United States Of America)    1.30
3 Alexandr Vinokurov (Kazakhstan)               1.50
4 Brian Bach Vandborg (Denmark)                 1.53
5 Sebastian Lang (Germany)                      2.09
6 Vasili Kiryienka (Belarus)                    2.14
7 Leif Hoste (Belgium)                          2.32
8 Michael Rogers (Australia)                        
9 Andriy Grivko (Ukraine)                       2.45


 

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