Quick Step’s Stijn Devolder will ride the Belgian time trial championships in Habey-la-Neuve this Sunday. He is aiming to add the black, yellow and red driekleur of time trial champion to that of road race champion that he already wears. He last won the title in 2008, and has been road race champion twice, in 2007 and this year, but has never held both titles at the same time.
Sunday’s course will cover a 17km circuit, followed by a 29km circuit, to make a total of 46km over rolling terrain. “I like the route,” said Devolder. “I won't deny that it would be a dream to wear the Belgian's championship jersey on both the road and the time trial.“
In last year’s championship race Devolder finished in fourth place, 58 seconds behind winner Maxime Monfort (HTC-Columbia). Other than his second consecutive Ronde van Vlaanderen victory though, his 2009 season did not go well; this year he feels things are going far better.
“The lead up to this race has been optimal,” he said. “I hope I can get the right feelings and rhythm from the first kilometres and to have a bit of good luck."
Devolder has raced in time trials against his Belgian rivals on three occasions this season. In the Tour de Suisse in June he finished 10 seconds behind Monfort over 26.9km; he has been beaten by Dominique Cornu (Skil-Shimano), last year’s bronze medallist, twice: by 15 seconds over 14.8km in March’s Driedaagse van De Panne, and by 4 seconds over 16.7km in May’s Tour of Belgium.
These three races were all in the middle of stage races however; one-off time trials are a different matter entirely but Devolder will need to be on top form to beat these two riders, as well as last year’s silver medallist Sébastien Rosseler (RadioShack).
The 30-year-old has been with the Belgian Quick Step team since 2008 but is leaving for Dutch team Vacansoleil at the end of the season. Not one, but two, driekleurs would be a bonus to a team that is pushing for invitations to the biggest races; it would also mean that Devolder himself would rarely be seen in the team’s blue and yellow colours at the beginning of next year.