US rider Tom Danielson will line out in Thursday’s time trial unsure as to his chances of a strong ride in the race against the clock. He became sick during the Vuelta a España and had to withdraw as a result. While he is feeling much better, he said that he is taking a ‘wait and see’ approach.
“Things the last days have been going well,” he told VeloNation on Tuesday. “I realized exactly how sick I really was for one thing. I've been resting a ton and since I finished the antibiotics my lungs are starting to clear and my voice is back. The fever is gone as well which makes things much easier.”
Danielson won the time trial in last month’s Vuelta a Burgos and was seventh in the Valencia time trial in the Tour of Spain. His ambitions in Mendrisio appear to be oriented more towards the road race as it will give him an extra three days of recovery and form-building.
“For the TT I am going with absolutely no expectations, just for the experience,” he said. “I acknowledge what my body has gone through the last week and half, and if it’s not ready yet, that's ok. I will still race hard and if it’s not for a result then [it will be] to get it back in gear for Sunday.
“My goal for the road race is to make the selection at the end. If I can do that, I will be continuing my progress I made in Burgos and the Vuelta. Tactics, experience, energy left in the tank, luck, etc will determine who goes on to win from that group.”
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USA Cycling roster for world road championships, Mendrisio, Switzerland:
Elite Men:
Tom Danielson (Durango, Colo./Garmin-Slipstream)– Road Race and Time Trial
Tyler Farrar (Wenatchee, Wash./Garmin-Slipstream) – Road Race
Brent Bookwalter (Lookout Mountain, Ga./BMC Racing Team) – Road Race
Jeff Louder (Salt Lake City, Utah/BMC) – Road Race
Craig Lewis (Greenville, S.C./Columbia-High Road)– Road Race
Andrew Bajadali (Boulder, Colo./Kelly Benefit Strategies)– Road Race
Jason McCartney (Coralville, Iowa/Team Saxo Bank)– Road Race
Tim Duggan (Boulder, Colo./Garmin-Slipstream)– Road Race
Tom Peterson (North Bend, Wash./Garmnin-Slipstream)– Road Race
Tom Zirbel (Boulder, Colo./Bissell) – Time Trial
Elite Women:
Kristin Armstrong (Boise, Idaho/Cervelo-Lifeforce) – Time Trial and Road Race
Amber Neben (Irvine, Calif./ Equipe Nürnberger) – Time Trial and Road Race
Kimberly Anderson (Santa Barbara, Calif./Columbia-High Road) – Road Race
Mara Abbott (Boulder, Colo./Columbia HTC) – Road Race
Meredith Miller (Fort Collins, Colo./Team TIBCO) – Road Race
Evelyn Stevens (New York, N.Y.) – Road Race
Jessica Phillips (Aspen, Colo./Team Lip Smackers) – Time Trial
U23 Men:
Peter Stetina (Boulder, Colo./Garmin-Felt-Holowesko) – Road Race and Time Trial
Tejay Vangarderen (Superior, Colo./Rabobank Continental Team) – Road Race and Time Trial
Kirk Carlsen (Boulder, Colo./Garmin-Felt-Holowesko) – Road Race
Chris Barton (Ojai, Calif./BMC) – Road Race
Alex Howes (Boulder, Colo./Garmin-Felt-Holowesko) – Road Race