Page 22 - atoday

A22

DEPORTEMonday 21 September 2015

BMC Racing of U.S. wins team time trial title in Richmond

DAVE SKRETTA BMC race team coach Jim Ochowicz, center, poses with the team on the winners podium after the Men’s Team Time Trials for the
AP Sports Writer UCI Road World Championships in Richmond, Va., Sunday, Sept. 20, 2015.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) —
Taylor Phinney roared to Associated Press
the front for BMC Racing as
the team headed toward medal-winning teams. the quickest time at each championships in the U.S. Team Sky, one of the med-
the finish line, thousands of of the three intermediate since 1986.
fans lining both sides of the “We’ve improved a lot and checkpoints. But their ad- “This was a huge goal for us al contenders, made the
downtown boulevard cre- vantage was a scant 6 sec- as a team,” Phinney said.
ated a tunnel of noise. we’re really happy.” onds over Etixx-QuickStep “You could have asked me start after a training crash
All that cheering for an as the red-and-black train a month ago if I was going
American rider leading a In the men’s race, BMC made the tough climb to to be here, the team trial Saturday left three riders
U.S.-based team to time the finishing straight. world champion — it’s sur-
trial victory in the first road Racing was labeled the “We had our split times, the real, man.” with injuries.
cycling world champion- official ones and the ones Phinney’s work isn’t done,
ships to be held on U.S. soil early favorite after snag- from the team,” said Etixx- either. He gives the U.S. Danny Pate had heavy
in nearly three decades. QuickStep’s Tony Martin, team its best shot in the in-
“It’s kind of hard to process ging gold last year in Spain. “so throughout the race we dividual time trial this week, bandages on his right el-
this for me, personally,” knew it was going to come then will line up for his home
Phinney said. In fact, it was so strong that down to us and BMC.” nation in next weekend’s bow and knee, while Elia
The reigning team time trial With the finish line in sight, road race.
champions, BMC Racing a member of that team, Phinney took to the front “I’m excited to put on the Viviani dropped off the
covered the undulating, for BMC Racing, leading USA kit and get out there
24-mile course in 42 min- Peter Velits, the top American team and represent my country,” pace line early with an ail-
utes, 7 seconds, beating to victory in the first world he said.
Belgian rival Etixx-Quick- was left off the six-man line- ing knee. The team finished
Step by 12 seconds Sun-
day. up for this year’s race. Phin- ninth.
Spanish team Movistar fin-
ished in 42:38 to capture ney was instead joined by Tinkoff-Saxo’s podium
the bronze medal.
“It’s been kind of a whirl- Australian star Rohan Den- hopes were dashed when
wind the last couple of
years,” said Phinney, who nis, Silvan Dillier, Stefan Kue- Michael Rogers and Mi-
missed worlds last year
while recovering from a ng, Daniel Oss and Manuel chael Valgren touched
career-threatening crash
at the U.S. road champi- Quinziato. wheels and went down
onships. “We came here
with a really strong team, They were fast right from hard. They eventually re-
guys that won the race last
year. To win is fantastic.” the start at Lewis Ginter Bo- mounted and finished last
In the women’s race, Ve-
locio-SRAM won its fourth tanical Gardens, posting among the 27 teams.q
consecutive championship
earlier in the day by rally-
ing over the final miles to
upstage Dutch rival Boels-
Dolmans and its American
rider, Evelyn Stevens, by
just 6 seconds. The Rabo-
Liv team finished in third.
“It’s a really nice feeling.
We had a bit of a hard
year,” said Trixi Worrack,
a member of all four gold