The 2015 Road World Championships got underway in fine style on Sunday as Velocio-SRAM extended their unbroken run of Team Time Trial success into a fourth consecutive year, whilst BMC Racing Team took their second straight victory in the equivalent mens’ event.

In a thrilling duel for gold with Etixx-Quick Step, the defending Team Time Trial champions of 2014 took on the winners of the same event in 2012 and 2013. BMC Racing Team finally beat their Belgian rivals by just 11 seconds, with Spanish squad Movistar Team taking their first ever podium in the event, securing bronze 30 seconds behind.

“I’m honoured to have been part of all of this, it was a hard race and a big goal for us,” said BMC Racing Team’s Taylor Phinney. “To win with the team is so fantastic - I’m a little bit at a loss for words right now.”

“We’ve done a lot of work and had a lot of support from the management. We got lots of energy from the crowd, Rohan Dennis really pulled us along there too,” added Phinney.

“For me it’s been a kind of rollercoaster for the last couple of years” he added, referring to the injuries which have troubled his recent career, “so to get back here and win with the team is fantastic.”

In the UCI WorldTour Teams Rankings, Movistar’s bronze has enabled them to move into first spot overall, with 1,559 points ahead of former leader Team Katusha. Etixx-Quick Step remain in fourth, whilst BMC Racing Team have moved up from seventh to fifth.