As the medals were handed out to the Junior Women’s time trial podium, the Cycling World Championships continued with the U23 Men’s TT. Fifty* riders would start in waves to complete 2 laps of the nearly 15km circuit in search of the rainbow jersey.
The weather for the first couple of waves of riders was overcast but dry with an occasional wind.
Scott Davies.
Note the size difference between Kazakstan’s Stepan Astafyev and Japan’s Atsushi Oka.
Atsushi Oka.
Bonaventure Uwizeyimana.
Greg Daniel.
Nathan Van Hooydonck.
Denmark’s Mads Wurtz Schmidt benefitted from the mild conditions and set the best time of 37:10 on the 29.9km course.
Davide Martinelli.
Setting out just minutes after Schmidt, Max Schachmann clocked the second best time of the day, 12 seconds behind the Dane.
Mongolia’s Altan-Ochir Erdenebat got off to a frantic start when he showed up as the 10 second countdown was starting and he desperately tried to ready his bike (and himself). He rolled down the ramp several seconds after the clock had begun to count his time.
Alex Cataford.
Jan Marcus Faaglum Karlsson.
Merhawi Kudus.
Tom Wirtgen warmed up.
Oleg Zemlyakov prepared his radio.
Zemlyakov and Truls Engen Korsaeth on the rollers.
Thery Schir took 8th place.
The course stretched out before Yuma Koishi’s reflective visor.
Around the time kiwi James Oram rolled down the start ramp, the weather changed. The occasional wind had grown stronger and more consistent and the clouds drizzled on the roads and riders.
Miles Scotson suffered a mechanical on the road, losing valuable seconds. He ended up in 7th place.
Daniel Eaton was the top American, slotting in at 10th.
Owain Doull, who rides for Team Wiggins, finished in 5th.
Zemlyakov.
Wirtgen.
Marlen Zmorka came in 9th.
A smiling Greg Daniel rode to his hotel after finishing the course.
Steven Lammertink.
Ryan Mullen, the only returning podium member from the 2014 Worlds in Ponferrada as Kung and Flakemore had aged out, hoped to stand on the podium once again. Whether it was unfavorable conditions on the road or just a bad day at the wrong time, Mullen, who will move to the world tour with Cannondale-Garmin in 2016, could only manage an 11th place today.
The 2014 Junior Men’s TT champion, Lennard Kamna, celebrated his 19th birthday less than 2 weeks before competing as a U23. Nevertheless, he put in a strong performance and emerged with the bronze medal.
A jubilant Schmidt took to the podium alongside 2 Germans.
Schmidt anticipating–and enjoying–the rainbow jersey.
1st Mads Wurtz Schmidt
2nd Max Schachmann
3rd Lennard Kamna
*Fifty-two riders were slated to compete but Andrej Petrovski of Macedonia and Amanuel Gebreigzabhier of Eritrea did not start.
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