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Elite Women's Individual Time
Trial Preview |
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Update: Since initial publication
Carmen Small has announced she is not riding due to illness.
The women’s individual time trial
will again be an interesting race with a fairly wide open
field with a number of riders who could take the win. Ellen
van Dijk won last year and dominated the discipline but she
has not been dominant this year. Annemiek van Vleuten was a
name very likely to challenge but unfortunately a crash in the
TTT has forced her to withdraw. Last year the battle for the
medals was very close.
Another unfortunate matter is the lack of time trials in races
this year. Many major races have elected to avoid them and
when they have been included they have been short.
Past Winners
2013 - Ellen van Dijk
2012 - Judith Arndt
2011 - Judith Arndt
2010 - Emma Pooley
2009 - Kristin Armstrong
2008 - Amber Neben
2007 - Hanka Kupfernagel
2006 - Kristin Armstrong
2005 - Karin Thürig
2004 - Karin Thürig
2003 - Joane Somarriba
2002 - Zulfiya Zabirova
2001 - Jeannie Longo
2000 - Mari Holden
Previous Editions
2012
1 Judith Arndt
2 Evelyn Stevens +33
3 Linda Villumsen +40
4 Emma Pooley +49
5 Ellen van Dijk +54
6 Ina-Yoko Teutenberg +1:33
7 Amber Neben +1:43
8 Trixi Worrack +1:44
9 Martina Sáblíková +1:59
10 Shara Gillow +1:59
2013
1 Ellen van Dijk
2 Linda Villumsen +24
3 Carmen Small +28
4 Evelyn Stevens +28
5 Trixi Worrack +31
6 Annika Langvad +39
7 Olga Zabelinskaya +40
8 Ganna Solovey +42
9 Tatiana Antoshina +42
10 Emma Johansson +52
The Route
The Contenders
Ellen van Dijk
Has one won one time trial this year but as mentioned before
there hasn’t been many. The win came earlier this month at the
Boels Rental Ladies Tour showing she is coming in to form at
the right time. Lost the Dutch TT Championship to Annemiek van
Vleuten, but her unfortunate withdrawal makes the path to
another rainbow jersey easier. It wont be easy as the times
showed last year it was close and others look to have improved
while van Dijk has stood still.
Linda Villumsen
Villumsen is inconsistent to say the least but when she is
firing she is very hard to beat. Because of this I have tended
in the past to always discount her. Not this year as I think
2014 could be the year she pulls on the rainbow jersey. Always
peaks for major championships so expect her to be on good
form. Won the ITT at the Commonwealth Games and while a number
of top time trialists were not there, it was still a strong
field.
Been on the podium every year for the past five with three
bronze and two silver.
Evelyn Stevens
Stevens is the current Pan American champion but was only
third in the US National Championships. Always consistent but
perhaps is just not at the very top in time trials, especially
those that are mostly flat. Finished second behind Judith
Arndt in 2012. Expect a strong performance off the back of
securing her future for the next two years with Boels Dolmans.
Alison Powers
Powers wasn’t a surprise winner of the US National
Championships but she did beat two better known riders in the
process. Two days later she went on to take the road race.
Rides for UnitedHealthcare who spend most of their season
riding in the US. Has been training for this so could be the
big surprise.
Lisa Brennauer
Current German National Champion and on German roads has been
untouchable this year. Won the time trials at
Auensteiner-Radsporttage and Internationale Thüringen
Rundfahrt. More recently second behind Van Dijk in the opening
time trial at Boels Rental Ladies Tour.
Trixi Worrack
Fifth last year just three seconds off the podium and seven
off silver. Second behind teammate Brennauer at the Nationals
and in a number of time trials since. Has the experience of
being up there and after being so close to a medal last year
expect a strong showing again.
Ganna Solovey
Or spelt numerous other ways. A controversial figure having
served a doping ban. Junior World Time Trial Champion in 2009
and 2010. Won Chrono Champenois last weekend but that is her
only race this year. For those that say she has focused on the
track well she has been absent most of the year there as well.
Repeating that performance here against a much stronger field
will be hard.
Katrin Garfoot
For those who follow the NRS in Australia the name will be
familiar, for those who follow European racing it will still
be relatively new. Joined Orica-AIS mid season after a strong
showing with Jayco-AIS (Australian National Team). What she is
capable of nobody really know still being so new to the sport.
Bronze at the Commonwealth Games, though this is another test.
Expect a strong ride and on a good day you never know a podium
might be within reach.
Ann-Sofie Duyck
Rides for a non UCI team but is a talent time trialist. Won
the Belgium National Championships this year and then the ITT
at Trophée d'Or Féminin. Competition there might not have been
great but will still serve as a confidence boost. Fourth at
Chrono Champenois but with a number of big names missing will
be hard to repeat that performance here.
Other names to watch: Elisa Longo Borghini,
Karol-Ann Canuel, Leah Kirchman, Lotta Lepisto, Chantal Blaak,
Katarzyna Pawlowska, Doris Schweizer and Jacqueline Hahn.
With rain again forecast some riders may get lucky with
conditions. |
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