American rider and BMC Racing team-mates Pinotti and Nerz satisfied with TT result
Given the strength of Taylor Phinney’s solo stage win earlier this week, some may have expected the BMC Racing Team rider to be closer to the victory in yesterday’s fine time trial in the Tour de Pologne.
Commenting afterwards, though, Phinney said that he was satisfied with his third place in the 37 kilometre test, one minute 14 seconds behind Bradley Wiggins and 18 seconds off the runner-up time of Fabian Cancellara.
“At the end of the day, I was quite surprised that I got third considering I didn't feel very strong,” he admitted. “I kind of blew up on the last highway coming back into Krakow.
“Given the lack of preparation I've been able to put in for the time trial due to complications from saddles sores at the Giro, I'm pretty happy with being third. Being beaten by Cancellara and Wiggins ... that's not so bad.”
Phinney is building up towards the world championships time trial, where he is determined to try to improve on his silver medal in last year’s race. He will likely be up against Wiggins and Cancellara there, as well as last year’s winner, Tony Martin (Omega Pharma Quick Step).
Fourth yesterday was Phinney’s team-mate Marco Pinotti, who was just six seconds behind the American. His post race quote suggests that he may have been closer to the win had the course been different.
“The first part was probably the most technical and the hardest, with lots of rolling parts,” he explained. “But I lost more than a minute to Wiggins in the last 16 or 17 km, which was where the course was a highway.”
As Pinotti said in a recent interview with VeloNation, he is also building towards the worlds, where he hopes a medal is possible.
The team’s best finisher in the final overall standings was Dominik Nerz, who was eighth in the TT and thirteenth overall.
Feeling fatigued after Friday’s stage, he was relieved to be riding solidly yesterday. “When I woke up this morning, I was feeling pretty good,” he said afterwards. “I was sure I could do a pretty good time trial, but this was unexpected. For me, it's a great feeling.
“I had a rest period after the Tour of Austria and one-and-a-half weeks of training before coming this race. So to go like this is awesome.”