Tony Martin (Etixx-QuickStep) proved that he is back to his best with a dominant performance in the 2016 World Championships in Qatar where he claimed his fourth title. Covering the 40km in 44.42, he was a massive 46 seconds faster than defending champion Vasil Kiryienka (Sky) while Jonathan Castroviejo (Movistar) finally got the elusive medal with a third place. Pre-race favourites Rohan Dennis (BMC) and Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin) could only manage sixth and eleventh respectively.

 

We have gathered a few reactions.

 

Tony Martin: I was at a point when I asked myself if I was still a big time triallist

Rolling down the ramp with bib number four, an omen for what was to come 45 minutes later, Tony Martin was motivated to make the most out of the strong form he showcased four days ago, when he led Etixx – Quick-Step to victory in the team time trial. On the 40km-long course which suited him to a tee, the German put in a monster performance to win the World ITT Championships for the fourth time in his career, following the triumphs of 2011, 2012 and 2013, thus equalling a record which was standing for six years.

 

Martin blitzed the Doha course, setting the reference time at both checkpoints, before concluding the race in 44:42, a result better than the one posted by 9 of the teams who competed in Sunday's time trial. The 31-year-old put 45 seconds into defending champion Vasil Kiryienka (Belarus), who finished runner-up, and more than a minute into Jonathan Castroviejo, the Spaniard who rounded out the podium. Two other Etixx – Quick-Step riders, Yves Lampaert and Bob Jungels, time trialed their way to a good result on Wednesday afternoon, coming home 7th, respectively 10th.

 

"After taking the gold medal with the team, to win the rainbow jersey in the individual time trial is just the icing on the cake. I was a bit scared by the heat at first, but having a good preparation here in Qatar helped me cope with it. I rode without any pressure, was focused only on what I had to do, and not on my rivals, and to come out on top is really incredible. I haven't had a great year up until this point, but to win two world titles in the space of just four days makes up for everything", said Tony Martin, now one of the two riders to have four victories at the World ITT Championships.

 

"It’s amazing. I can’t believe it. Everyone knows I hadn’t had a good year so far, until Sunday so becoming world champion is incredible – it makes everything that happened this year forgotten.

 

"The course was really made for me. The only thing I was scared of was the heat but I had good preparation at home, then coming here having a good week with the team, getting a lot of knowledge about what I had to do. I was also strong in the head, I was not the favourite, I had no pressure, I just had fun on the road, I have to say.

 

"I always said I don’t count the victories. I look forward from year to year, and I want to be world champion every year. I’m so proud I am able to wear the world champion’s suit next year – I’ve missed it a lot. Now I’m looking forward to riding with the rainbow jersey next season.

 

"I have to say I've had a pretty tough almost three years now because I couldn't show my real level in the TT. I was almost on the point where I had to ask myself if I was still a big time triallist or if I was on the way down.

 

"But going back to the old position on the time trial bike gave me a lot of confidence, I have to say. I felt like another rider, in fact, and the people around me said that I was starting to look like another rider compared to the last months. I was really relaxed before the start. I was just looking forward to the race today.

 

“For sure it is most important that I returned to my previous position. We made changes to go back to my old position after the Olympics. After three hard seasons, I am once against able to show my best.

 

“It was a good course for me, flat with some wind. I didn’t care about my power or the split times. The most important thing was to go at a good rhythm, and keep a strong steady pace.

 

"I really didn't expect to win today. I had a plan and I just knew that I had to follow my rhythm. I couldn't pay too much attention to the split times, especially in this heat. But I was pretty surprised to have the best time at the first split, so that was good for morale. Then after I had a big gap at the second split, that made my morale even bigger.

 

"The first one in Copenhagen in 2011 was the most important for me but I think today is probably the second most important because I had a tough year. I'm coming back at what is a really important point in my career.

 

"I'm not going for records. The important thing is the honour of wearing the jersey, though for sure I'm still motivated to go for a fifth or sixth title.

 

"I think for the moment Cancellara has had the bigger victories, with the gold medals in the Olympic Games. For the moment, he's still on top. For sure, right now, he's the man. But I'm not at the end of my career yet.

 

"Before my decision [to join Katusha9 , I said I had to change something. I needed some new input – not necessarily better or worse, just different. I just needed some new people around me, but that's not to say Etixx-QuickStep influenced me badly, not at all. I was maybe in a comfort zone, maybe I was a bit too relaxed sometimes, but coming to a new team put you under a bit of pressure again, because you have to show yourself and fight for your position in your team.

 

"But without the preparation and help with the Etixx-QuickStep team in the last weeks, this wouldn't have been possible, especially Tom Steels. He was amazing in planning for Sunday and for today. I'm sure even when we change jerseys, we'll stay in touch and remain friends. And the cycling world is small. I don't say it's the end forever."

 

Vasil Kiryienka: I confirmed that I am strong but I am not a winner

Vasil Kiryienka put up a valiant defence of his world time trial championship title with a superb second place in Doha.

 

Representing Belarus, Kiryienka powered around the flat 40-kilometre course in intense heat, clocking a time of 45 minutes and 28 seconds to clinch a silver medal.

 

The runner-up spot continued an incredible run of consistency for the Team Sky rider, who has racked up a top-four finish at every world championships since 2012.

 

"I am very pleased with my result,” he told Directvelo. “Tony has worked to return to the highest level and it is not a shame to lose to him because I have enormous respect for him. In fact, his victory is not a surprise. I was rather surprised not to see him win last year. 
 

”I am not a winner, it was only last year that I won at the Giro and the World Championships. This morning I told my coach that I wanted to give my maximum and I confirmed to my supporters and my rivals that I am strong.”

Castroviejo: Next year I will go for gold in the TT with the uphill finish

In Richmond, during the last World Championships held 13 months ago, Jonathan Castroviejo was just three seconds behind Jérôme Coppel (FRA) for bronze. In Rio de Janeiro, just over 60 days ago, he was again beaten, by Chris Froome (GBR), by only four seconds. But today, and yet again by a short margin - just 6" ahead of Maciej Bodnar (POL), making part of a luxurious podium alongside Tony Martin (GER) and Vasil Kiryienka (BLR) - Castroviejo savoured a well-deserved moment of joy at last, within the very best against the clock. The recently-crowned European TT champion, author of a magnificent late 2016 season following his neck injury in February after crashing against a spectator following the final stage of the Volta ao Algarve, offered the Spanish natinoal team a bronze medal in Doha, venue of a sorching hot ITT Worlds over 40km between the Lusail Sports Complex and The Pearl.

 

It was a strong start by the 29-year-old Movistar Team rider from the Basque Country, yet he always rode saving some energy for the end. 'Castro' was 6th at the first intermediate check, 13km in, at 16" from Martin, who was already in the lead ahead of Kiryienka (+2"). He was sitting 8" off the virtual bronze medal position held by a surprising Ryan Mullen (IRL), a margin reduced at the second split (26km) where the Getxo-born cyclist's progression began to be noticed. Castroviejo was then only 1" behind the Irishman; 2" off the pace of Rohan Dennis (AUS); and 3" behind Jos Van Emden (NED), whose cloopase near the end narrowed the contest for bronze to just three men - with Martin in the lead, 21" ahead of Kiryienka and 37" ahead of Castroviej. The momentum gained by Castroviejo was ultimately confirmed at the finish, where he put 17" into Dennis, 11" into Mullen and held a six-second margin over Bodnar, so close to leaving him out of the podium again.

 

Castroviejo, claiming the 100th podium place in 2016 for Eusebio Unzué's squad, rounds off a truly brilliant season, arguably the best, for the Movistar Team in its four-decade trajectory, undoubtedly the most consistent under Telefónica's title sponsorship. A year where Castroviejo offered a decisive contribution with his title in Plumelec; his massive help for Nairo Quintana towards glory in the Vuelta; and a medal today with confirms him as one of the best rouleurs n the planet.

 

Castroviejo said: 

 

"This time it was really to be! I got to keep my pace well over the whole course; obviously you had to lose a bit of speed in the finale due to the long effort, but I felt like riders were going to start off a bit too fast and decided to try and save some energy. The heat and humidity took its toll on all riders and, fortunately, didn't affect me that much today. Obviously, this wasn't a course really suiting me well, but I've got to keep a consistent level lately in all terrains, whether it's a flat TT or a hilly one.

 

“This bronze medal really makes me confident for the future. If I've been able to get bronze in such a course and chase good results in such different distances and terrains - 2nd in the Vuelta, 2nd in Poland, the European gold - then we might be able to go for gold someday? Well, who knows.

 

”Next year, in Norway, we've got an uphill finish. I hope to have an easier season than this one and get closer to the top. For the time being, I'm super happy with what I got today - it was really hard to get going after my injury in February and the recovery process I had to go through.

 

"I am very happy with this medal which confirms my work. I had suffered a big crash early in the season, then I have worked and I have been regular in the time trials: second in the Vuelta and Poland, 4th in the Olympics, European Champion. Next year we have this uphill finish so I hope to be in even better condition and go for gold.”
 

Surprised Mullen: I don’t know if maybe I took a shortcut

Ryan Mullen has finished fifth in the Elite Men’s Time Trial at the UCI 2016 Road World Championships in Doha, Qatar today. The 22 year old rider was the early leader in the 40km race against the clock, holding the fastest recorded time for the majority of the day, before the final medal winners crossed the line in quick succession, pushing him into fifth place. Nicolas Roche finished thirtieth in the same race.

In a field filled with top professional cyclists the Cannondale-Drapac racer impressed finishing the 40km race in a time of 46.04.74, ahead of seasoned riders like Rohan Dennis and Tom Dumoulin. Although Mullen is no stranger to winning medals at the World level, having won silver in the U23 Time Trial in 2014 alongside multiple track cycling medals, this fifth place result was particularly special.

An unassuming Mullen commented afterwards saying:

 

“I don’t really know what happened today, I don’t know if maybe I took a shortcut or something! Ryan Mullen doesn’t get 5th in the world, just 11 seconds off a medal! I’m in disbelief, that’s really good and I just hope I can keep progressing at this level. I was in the hot seat early on, and I just thought they’d push me off it pretty quickly. But I sat there for nearly two hours, and then was off it completely in the space of four minutes!”

 

Cycling Ireland Technical Director Brian Nugent was delighted with how today unfolded, citing the result as one of Ireland’s best: 

 

“That’s Ireland’s best ever elite Time Trial result at these Championships. Ryan was just superb today. I was driving his following car and I’ve never seen him perform so well. He went to the limit today. It’s been building for a few months, and he’s put a lot of work into this. You could see it this week in his training sessions, he was so strong, but today he was phenomenal. We’re so proud of him for the way he delivered that ride today. It’s hard to piece it all together, and today he did that to perfection.”

Like all the riders who have competed in Doha so far, Mullen found the heat played a significant role in proceedings: 

 

“For the first couple of days I really suffered in the heat - then I had one really bad day, it knocked my confidence, but in a way I think that’s what I needed. Today went really well, I think part of it was a case of who handled the heat best. I squeezed every last drop of juice out of myself, I did the best that I could do, and Brian [Cycling Ireland Technical Director] was really supportive too. It was just nice to be able to perform again and put myself up there.”

Being 22 Mullen technically could have competed in the U23 event on Monday, but is glad he competed in the Elite Time Trial today: 

 

“They were different events, different courses, and it is horses for courses. Today was a good course for me; it just all went to plan, everything went well and I was healthy. Now I’ll race the Road Race at the weekend, it’s good to see how I’m going at this time of year.”

Nicolas Roche was also competing, and while the current National Time Trial Champion has been performing strongly in the TTs this year, recording results like 8th in the European Championships last month, today was not his day.

Racing continues tomorrow with the U23 Men’s Road Race, which will see Eddie Dunbar, Michael O’Loughlin, Matthew Teggart and Daire Feeley tackle the 166km flat circuit. Racing in Doha at the Road World Championships runs from 10th – 16th October.

 

Rohan Dennis: I did 30 watts less than in the TTT

Rohan Dennis time trialed to sixth in the elite men's time trial at the 2016 UCI Road World Championships in Doha, Qatar.

"I didn't have it today," said Dennis, who was aiming for the podium. "My power was 30 watts less than what I did on Sunday [in team time trial]. It's been a long season.

 

"I was good in the first kilometers, but when I arrived on the highways it was no longer good. The heat really knocked me out in the second part. I felt good on Monday after the TTT and yesterday I was still good. I tried to keep my pace from start to finish. I am knew the risk of exploding and that's what happened. "

The former Tour de France yellow jersey wearer was the third to last rider to race from the 66 starters. He looked strong and steady over the 40-kilometre course, posting the fifth fastest time as he rode through the first intermediate check after 13.6 kilometres. 

By the second check point, Dennis was fourth fastest, 35-seconds behind the winning pace set by Tony Martin (Germany). He stopped the clock in 46 minutes and 10.11 seconds for fifth place across the line, sixth place by race end, equalling his result from Richmond a year ago.

"You don’t go into a time trial expecting any result in particular," said National Elite Men's Road Director Brad McGee. "You go in totally focused on the process and the obstacles and challenges at hand. There are plenty of things to be focused on there without worrying about the outcome. 

"That said, we know if we put it all together, we could be legitimately on the podium if not winning this thing based on Rohan’s progression over the last 18-24 months," added McGee. 

"But it just wasn't to be. From speaking to Rohan briefly, it was obvious from his analysis of his performance that he was missing that final 10% of his power. That was all that was missing. His delivery, his line, his pacing, it was all spot-on. He was missing that final cog down."

Dennis has had a longer than usual campaign beginning with a win at the National Road Championships in Australia in January and building up to a fifth place in the 2016 Rio Olympic individual time trial. 

"It doesn’t take much of searching to realise that this result is the product of coming off the back of a long and arduous season, a huge campaign in Rio," said McGee.

"Rohan carried his from into the following races in Eneco but evidently he hasn’t been able to hold onto that wonderful form to Worlds.

"It's unfortunate," McGee admitted. "It’s disappointing but we can accept it of course. We understand, but it doesn’t make it any easier. He and we will go home disappointed tonight. 

"I would like to congratulate our new world champion Tony Martin," McGee added. "He's an artist on the time trial bike, and it’s lovely to see a bloke back at the top of his race craft."

Luke Durbridge gave Australia a second finisher in the top third of the field. The Western Australian managed 18th place, 2 minutes and 28 seconds off the winning time. 

"We saw some encouraging signs from Luke that were not necessarily reflected in the overall results," said McGee.

"He demonstrated a steady platform to work from in the future for a return to his full time trialing potential. We're looking forward to Luke bringing his passion to the road race group on Sunday."  

Durbridge joins Mat Hayman (ACT), Heinrich Haussler (NSW), Mark Renshaw (NSW), Mitch Docker (VIC), Zak Dempster  (VIC), Steele von Hoff (VIC), Caleb Ewan (NSW) and Michael Matthews (ACT) in Sunday's 257.3km road race.

 

Delighted Lampaert: I underestimated myself

"I underestimated myself," Yves Lampaert said after his seventh place at the World Championships time trial. "I am really very happy with it. I am seventh at Worlds. I is unbelievable. I should be very proud. I did not expect this

 

"It's always difficult when you have to make predictions in advance. If you look at the participants, there are many good riders. Beforehand I'd rather not make too many big decisions, I'd rather live without too much stress, That worked perfectl. "

 

"And then it was just a flat course that was good for me as you could ride very hard in the same rhythm. Whether I had a super day? I would not say that. With the heat, it is difficult to estimate how you are going. I could maintain my position for a long time, my power output was good. But because of the heat it was still hard to keep it up.

 

"I have been focusing on the TT and my position on the time trial bike should be even better, but the classics remain my priority. That is my great love and I am convinced that I can be a specialist and a good rider. I want to still specialize in prologues, but the long time trials and simply a matter of building up step by step. That comes with age. The main objective remains the classics. And if you look at Cancellara, he could also combine both. We'll see how it goes. I'm still young and can still make a lot of steps. "

 

Van Emden: A place in the top 10 is beautiful

Dutchman Jos van Emden of Team LottoNL-Jumbo placed eighth in the World Championships time trial in Doha, Qatar, today. He covered the 40 kilometres in a time of 46-28.40 minutes. German Tony Martin won with 44-42.99, 45 seconds faster than the Belarusian Vasil Kiryienka and 1-10 faster than the Spaniard Castroviejo.

 

"I am satisfied, I aimed for a spot in the top 10 so I am very happy with this eighth place,” Van Emden said. “There are only seven riders faster, and Lampaert was even in the same second.

 

"I know I slow down after 30 kilometres and the heat makes it worse. So I decided to start fast. In the last 10 kilometres, my pace dropped. I think it cost me half a minute, but who knows, if started slowly, I might not have been able to get time back in the end. A place in the top 10 is beautiful."

 

"It could have been ten kilometers shorter, but I had signed for a place in the top ten.  I am very happy, "he told NOS.

 

"I could not keep the pace firm. I knew I would get difficulties after 30 kilometers. In in the last part I lost half a minute.

 

“Normally Tom[Dumoulin]  is better. I assumed that he was going to take the title. That shows that he is a human being.”

 

 Tom Dumoulin: I thought about abandoning

Tom Dumoulin was the second-to-last rider down the start ramp and he completed the 40km course with a time of 46’44” and an average pace of 51.3km/h, which was enough for 11th place.

 

Tom Dumoulin said: “Today was not good. The first part was not so bad, but at the long straight I totally collapsed. My power output was dramatic and I was suffering from the heat. The shape is not great anymore, so dealing with the heat is then even more difficult.

 

“The team time trial on Sunday gave me confidence, so I did my preparation as usual and I was aiming for a medal. But that turned out to be simply impossible.”

 

"It was nothing, it was not good. I'm feeling good for my start, but I fell totally in on that long road,” he told NOS.

 

"My power was dramatic. I've never seen it so bad. That was because of the heat, but everyone has suffered from that.

 

“It's no longer there.Sometimes life is simple.  Sunday gave me confidence as I felt better than today.

 

"I thought about abandoning but that would be like saying ‘Fuck you’. It is a rotten country to be in and a bleak Worlds but I wanted to go for the jersey or a medal.”

 

Dowsett and Cumming with mixed emotions after Worlds TT

British champion Alex Dowsett took a credible 12th in the elite men’s time trial with Steve Cummings 25th for the Great Britain Cycling Team at the UCI Road World Championships in Doha, Qatar.

 

Five-time British champion Dowsett completed the 40km in 46:54.07 while Rio Olympian Cummings stopped the clock in 47:31.52.

 

“It was warm, as expected,” Dowsett said.

 

“It was alright for me. I think I managed myself well and I’m not sure I could have done a lot more.”

 

“”I think on the day what I had was OK, it wasn’t super,” Cummings said.

 

“I have been up and down in training in the last few weeks, so it is difficult to judge but on the day I got out everything I had. Like I said, it wasn’t a super day. You can’t expect a lot if you don’t have a super day here at the worlds.

 

“The heat is a limiting factor but I have been here long enough to adapt as well as I could. It’s difficult then because you lose your threshold.

 

“What you can produce at 20-25 degrees is different to what you produce at 30-35 degrees and you don’t have too much time to go out and test. It’s a nice challenge, the same for everyone.”

 

Both Dowsett and Cummings paced their respective rides well, gradually improving their position at each of the three time checks on the 40km flat course.

 

Dowsett went through the first 13.6km as the 17th quickest, and 15th quickest at the 26.4km mark before ending in 12th. Tour of Britain winner Cummings was 35th through the opening sector, climbing to 32nd by the second time check before taking 25th on the line.

 

Phinney: It was like 20 minutes of banging your head against a wall

Americans Taylor Phinney and Alexey Vermeulen wrapped up time trial competition with the elite men’s field on Wednesday at the 2016 UCI Road World Championships in Doha, Qatar. 

Phinney, a member of the 2016 Olympic Team, finished 15th in the contest, clocking a 47:04. 67 after recording top-10 splits through the first two checkpoints. In his first elite men’s World Championship competition, Vermeulen finished strong to take 28th in 47:57.99 after putting in the 39th and 35th-place splits through the first two checkpoints. The first-year pro will race in Sunday’s elite men’s road race as well.

 

“I think I lost a lot more brain cells than I lost weight. It was a really weird race mentally because it was so hot,” Phinney told Cyclingnews. “It was good about halfway, and I knew getting out onto the highway you had to keep it rolling but there’s nothing to do but feel pain. It feels kind of late in the season, well at least in my brain it felt late in the season to have that ability to keep the focus off the pain. I felt like kind of a wuss out there.

 

“A course like this, it’s a bit like Florence in 2013 where there was a long straight section. It was like 20 minutes of banging your head against a wall.”

 

Campenaerts: The form was gone

Victor Campenaerts finished with a time of 47.33.99, in 26th place, and unhappy. He felt he was not in good form in the week leading up to the race.

 

"In the beginning, I had a good feeling, but after the first intermediate point, I felt worse,” Campenaerts said. “I could not get the watts that I wanted and then you know it will not be enough for a good result.

 

“The season was long and in recent days, I felt below what I had hoped. After that, I tried to focus on aerodynamics. I rode the best aero position I could to try to make the best of it.

 

"It was really hot and you have to drink more than usual, but I definitely did not feel the heat slowed me down. I just had very bad legs."

 

"I had a really bad day, and my top form is just gone. I have to be honest.

 

"Actually I have felt for a few days my super shape was gone. At the European Championships in Plumelec, where I won silver, I felt much stronger but now the good shape was gone. I felt it at training last week, but of course I still wanted to go for a good result, if you go. I you proclaim that you are not good, it is already a lost cause. You try and you hope for a super day. Today I felt soon after the start that I did not have a good time trial could drive.

 

“It is not what I wanted but it is what it is. If you're really bad, as I was today, you cannot ride much better. This is frustrating, but I can change very little. This is a bad result, but I do have had a very good season and I am happy with that. This could have been the icing on the cake, but that's not the case now.

 

“The heat was not a determining factor. On my bike computer, the temperature was 40 degrees, even a little more, but that should be no excuse. The heat was not the cause of my bad result, but simply a lack of good legs. The season was a little too long for me and I've had my peak in the Vuelta and the European Championships immediately afterwards. It's unfortunate, but I cannot change it. I have trained very hard for this Worlds, but when the vessel is empty, it is empty.

 

"I am delighted that Yves (Lampaert) has done so well. It is now 3-2 in his favor. He saved the honor of our country. I'm proud of him, he's a very good friend and what he has achieved here is really a top time trial."

 

Heat destroys the day for France in Qatar

France could only manage 34th with Jeremy Roy and 35th with Johan Le Bon.

 

"This time trial was influenced big the weather with a big heat and little shelter from the wind in the desert,” Roy said. “I managed my race well, even if I just cracked in the last third of the race. I'm a little disappointed with my final result. The federation has done some work in terms of feeding.  The staff did well for us, but I did not get what I wanted. It's hot here, and when we do a Road Cycling Worlds in Qatar, it is perhaps to try this experiment for the football World Cup. I'm happy anyway. My computer showed more than 40 degrees. As I said after my ride, when a normal person reaches such a temperature, he is in bed. This is to give the impression of how it felt on the bike! "

 

"I suspected that with the heat I was going to have trouble,” Le Bon said. “I was not at 70% of my ability, maybe 80%, but I had the feeling of having nothing to do. It's disappointing nonetheless. It was a violent effort, riding in the heat is special. It was difficult at the start. You cannot go deep. It's like having trouble breathing. It's a disappointment.

 

Ideally, you should acclimate by arriving early but there are also races in Europe. It is not easy. Finally it's the same for everyone, I will not use it as an excuse either. I have probably not worked enough at home. That may be my fault. 

”These striaghts in the desert were very long. A TT is rarely a pleasure but perhaps even less under these conditions. 

"It will remain an important event because it is my first World Championships with the elite team. Now it's just a race like any other with the same riders. I'm disappointed but I will analyze the data. I hope to have another chance.”