Emma Pooley (Great Britain) won the women’s World Championship time trial in Geelong, just outside Melbourne, Australia. Fastest at all the checkpoints, the British champion flew around the 22.8km course in a time of 32’48”44, the only rider to go below 33 minutes. Pooley finished 15.17 seconds quicker than Judith Arndt (Germany) and 15.80 quicker than Linda Villumsen (New Zealand).
With two tough climbs in the first part of the course it was no surprise that the tiny climber was ahead at the first checkpoint; descending had always been Pooley’s weak point though, which arguably cost her the gold medal at the Olympic games in Beijing, so the power of riders like Arndt was expected to pull her back.
Pooley has been working on her downhill skills though and pedalling her 650c wheeled Cervélo P3 she increased her lead over her rivals to take her first ever rainbow jersey.
HTC-Columbia teammates Arndt and Villumsen vied for second place all round the course, never more than a few seconds apart; the New Zealander was ahead most of the way around but the German just pipped her at the finish.
"I'm really happy and can't quite believe it," said Emma Pooley. " I am so proud to wear the World champion's jersey with the stripes for a whole year!
“It was pretty special to come second at the Olympic games, but in a way, that was easier for me because I had no expectations and no pressure. This time it was different. I trained specifically for this, doing a lot of hill training and intervals on my time trial bike".
Veronica Leal Banderas (Mexico) was first to start; by no means a contender for a medal but much better than many of the riders starting after her, she finished the course in 36’06”09. The Michela Fanini rider’s time was to stand for almost 15 minutes until Patricia Schwager (Switzerland) went almost a minute and a half faster.
The Swiss Cervélo rider was not to be in the hot seat for very long though as the first of the local riders, Shara Gillow (Australia), the very next rider to finish went 37 seconds faster.
She too was not to be in the lead for long either though as Tara Whitten (Canada) crossed the line immediately afterwards to lower the best time to 33’54”55.
Whitten had been fastest at the first checkpoint, at the top of Scenic Road after 6.6km, but eighth from last to start Pooley became the first to go quicker; the British champion was only a second faster than the Canadian though.
Slightly slower than Whitten at the first checkpoint, Evelyn Stevens (United States) was almost a second faster than the Canadian at the second, after 14.7km. The US champion managed to carry her speed through to the finish to go 5 seconds faster at the finish.
Race favourite and last to start Judith Arndt (Germany) was 9 seconds slower than Pooley at the first check. The race was far from over though, as the veteran German champion had plenty of time to catch the Briton on the twisting descents and flatter second part.
Meanwhile at the finish, the evergreen Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli (France) pushed Stevens off the top spot with a time of 33’32”38. Surely at almost 52 years of age the legendary Frenchwoman couldn’t add a fifth time trial rainbow jersey, nine years after the fourth?
Out on the course though, 2008 World champion Amber Neben (United States) went 8 seconds faster than Longo-Ciprelli at the second checkpoint. The Frenchwoman’s time was to stand up to pre-race favourite Noemi Cantele (Italy), who finished almost a minute behind her; Neben kept the pressure on though, to finish more than 6 seconds faster with a new best time of 33’26”10.
Pooley was still flying around the course, going 22 seconds faster than Neben at the second checkpoint, but Villumsen was close behind her. The formerly-Danish New Zealander was just 5 seconds slower than the Briton at the second check.
Arndt caught Oceania champion Alex Rhodes (Australia) on the flat windy section following the two climbs. The 2004 road race champion was still 8 seconds slower than Pooley though, but her smooth style could still pull the British champion back.
Pooley was closing in on Emilia Fahlin (Sweden) as she came into the finish and crossed the line almost 44 seconds faster than Longo-Ciprelli.
A few minutes behind Pooley, Neben came in 37 seconds slower than the Briton, but 6 seconds quicker than Longo-Ciprelli, to go into provisional silver medal position and knock compatriot Stevens off the podium.
Villumsen, who’d caught Zabelinskaya came home fast, but could only finish within 15 seconds of Pooley; the HTC-Columbia rider pushed Neben out of the silver medal spot to be guaranteed her new country’s first ever medal.
Arndt was riding smoothly, but couldn’t challenge Pooley’s time on the line. The German just edged out her HTC-Columbia teammate to take silver, confirming Emma Pooley as World champion.
Result Women’s World Time Trial Championship
1. Emma Pooley (GBr) Great Britain 32’48”44
2. Judith Arndt (Ger) Germany @ 15.17s
3. Linda Villumsen (NZl) New Zealand @ 15.80s
4. Amber Neben (USA) United States @ 37.66s
5. Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli (Fra) France @ 43.94s
6. Evelyn Stevens (USA) United States @ 1’00”08
7. Tara Whitten (Can) Canada @ 1’05”91
8. Shara Gillow (Aus) Australia @ 1’13”18
9. Emilia Fahlin (Swe) Sweden @ 1’22”20
10. Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) Italy @ 1’25”55