Day Two of racing in the 2015 UCI Road World Championships saw Denmark’s Mads Wurtz Schmidt capture Time Trial gold in the Under 23 Men category. Already a Junior World’s Time Trial Champion back in 2011, he was flanked by Germany’s Maximilian Schachmann and Lennard Kamna on the Under 23 Men’s Time Trial podium. 

The course was a 15 kilometre circuit on rolling, largely urban roads and broad, wide boulevards. After crossing the James River and passing through Virginia Commonwealth University, it headed back into central Richmond to culminate with a daunting 300 metre climb on Governor Street before a seemingly interminable half kilometre of false flat to the finish. For the U-23 men, the time trial course comprised two laps of the circuit, totalling 30 kilometres.

Mads Wurtz Schmidt was  one of the earlier starters in the Under 23 Men’s Individual Time Trial, rolling down the start ramp in 14th place out of a 50 rider field. The 2015 Tour of Denmark time trial stage winner laid down a crushing time that was more than a minute faster than any of the previous starters, stopping the clock at 37 minutes and 10 seconds.

Clearly a time to beat and with the provisional best times at all three intermediate checkpoints also in his power, rider after rider failed to dislodge the Dane from the top spot overall, who finally had to wait two and a half hours before definitively securing gold. Another early starter, Germany’s Maximilian Schachmann, a bronze medallist in the 2012 Junior World Championships Time Trial proved to be the rider that ran him closest, clocking times that fell just seven to eight seconds in short in the intermediate time checks. However, Schachmann finally finished 12 seconds back and would have to settle for silver.

Kamna, the Junior Worlds Time Trial Champion in 2014, also proved one of the strongest in worsening weather conditions as light rain and a stronger wind set in. The last rider to start and driving hard on the long avenue leading to the finish, the Germany was able to dislodge Truls Engen Korsaeth of Norway from the bronze spot and finish 21 seconds down. There was no stopping Mads Wurth Schmidt though, already the U-23 Time Trial Champion for Denmark this year, from adding a Road World Championships gold medal in the same category to his fast-growing palmares.

“It’s hard to believe what I’ve done, I was getting very nervous as the last riders came in and I’m still taking it in now,” a delighted Schmidt said afterwards.

“I went hardest on the last part of the course, into the headwind, a little bit easier in the first section. It’s just amazing to have won.”

Racing continues on Tuesday with the Junior Men’s Time Trial and the Elite Women’s Time Trial. After Monday’s hardfought Time Trial events, it’s more than likely the sparks will continue to fly.