Omega Pharma-Quick Step go into the World Team Time Trial championships as the winners of the two first editions of the race but have lost three of the key riders from last year’s roster. Nonetheless, team manager Patrick Lefevere feels confident in their chances, knowing that they have prepared everything meticulously.

In the last two years, Omega Pharma-Quick Step have been sitting atop the team time trial hierarchy after the won the two first editions of the World Team Time Trial Championships. Tomorrow they will roll down the start ramp as the final team and one of the big favourites to win the third edition of the race.

However, it is a completely changed team that will try to make it three in a row. Kristof Vandewalle, Sylvain Chavanel and Peter Velits all played key roles in last year’s winning ride but have all left the team in the off-season. This leaves just Tony Martin, Michal Kwiatkowski and Niki Terpstra from last year’s winning team and even though Tom Boonen, Julien Vermote and Pieter Serry are all strong time triallists, they may not possess the same kind of firepower as the three specialists that left the team.

Team manager Patrick Lefevere knows that it will be hard to defend the title in a highly competitive field and laments the bad luck that saw the team lose another two important riders. Nonetheless, he is optimistic when asked to assess his chances of keeping the winning streak alives.

“Of course it is not easy,” he told CyclingQuotes after the team time trial training. “When we have won two years in a row, we can only lose. It is true that three of the 6 guys left the team. We wanted Uran and Stybar on the team as well but Stybar was injured, Uran was ill.

“But I think we have a lot of good riders. To be in this team, nobody wants to fail. They are all super motivated. The staff looked at every detail. I think we are ready.

The course has been described as a high-speed parcours for the big specialists but Lefevere disagree and point to cohesion as the key to success.

“Last year the hill was in the beginning and then it was flat,” he said. “Now it is more like up or down all day, especially on the highway. I think it is important to stay together as much as possible.”

The race could be made more unpredictable by bad weather.

“It depends on the form of the day,” Lefevere said. “They are forecasting rain for tomorrow. If UCI respect the rules of cycling, we should start the last, hoping that we are not in a shower and knowing the times of the other teams.”

Asked to pinpoint the rivals, he was quick to point to their archrivals that they beat by less than a second in last year’s race.

“GreenEDGE of course and the locals, Movistar,” he said. “I didn’t see the final line-ups of the teams because we only know this evening. I think a lot of teams tried to do the same as we did, brining 7 guys and selecting the final 6 this afternoon.”

The time trial and the road race

In addition, Omega Pharma-Quick Step have more cards to play at the World. On Wednesday, Tony Martin will be the major favourite in the time trial and has the chance to become the first rider to win the title four years in a row.

Martin showed good condition in the Vuelta which served as preparation for the Worlds. Lefevere guarantees that his star is ready for the challenge.

“He is alright,” he said. “He came out of the Tour de France with amazingly good shape. He won the time trial in the Vuelta. He went home to prepare this.”

Things may be more complicated for the road race. Tom Boonen has made the race a big goal and had hoped to be supported by a few of his trade teammates. When Belgian national coach Carlo Bomans announced the team, however, Boonen was the only Omega Pharma-Quick Step rider.

Lefevere has criticized the choice heavily and underlined his point in the interview with CyclingQuotes.

“In the beginning, they said they would start with two leaders: Boonen and Gilbert,” he said. “In the end, Tom is alone and Gilbert has two guys. I don’t discuss everybody on this team but Julien Vermote was riding an amazing Tour of Britain, winning a stage. He is just as good as Vansummeren.”

An outsider for the road race is Michal Kwiatkowski who rode strongly in the Tour of Britain, winning a stage and finishing second overall. However, Lefevere is cautious when asked to assess the chances of one of his biggest talents.

“Tour of Britain is Tour of Britain,” he said. “This is a one-day race and you need lots of experience. Everybody knows that the Worlds is decided in the last two laps. Of course I want to see another race like we saw in Lugano with Johan [Museeuw]. The riders make the race, not we.”