Great Britain is famous for producing riders who are strong individual time trialists such as Bradley Wiggins and David Millar. The current and former national TT champions are still winning big, but are now 31 and 34 years old respectively. As they head into the final seasons of their careers, Alex Dowsett could well be the man to take up the mantle.
The Essex resident is in his first year as a professional cyclist with British team Sky Procycling, and although he hasn’t notched up any victories in his debut season, he sent out a strong message this week when he finished third in the opening prologue of the Ster ZLM Toer in Holland.
Dowsett finished just six seconds slower than HTC-Highroad’s stage winner Patrick Gretsch, who has led the race since. “I looked at the course before, and with the mix of technical corners and straights to put down some power over a good distance, I knew I could put in a good ride,” he said speaking to VeloNation.
“I also knew the opposition would be tough as well so I just set out to do the best ride possible and would wait for the result.”
The 22 year old had already impressed in his first race of the year, the Tour of Qatar, where he finished in fifth place in the prologue, beating riders such as Tom Boonen and Gert Steegmans. That increased his hunger and he’s continued to move closer to a win.
“I'm very happy to get my first podium result,” he said. “I've had a fourth and two fifths this year so I would've been disappointed to end the season without one.”
Having got that podium place, he has no plans to ease back; he has his sights firmly set on the World Championships in September. “I'm hoping to be selected for the World TT Champs in Copenhagen and I think a top ten result there could be realistic.”
He put his much talked-about time trial abilities to the test last week in a local criterium in London. The line up included professional riders Matt Brammeier, his HTC Highroad team-mate Leigh Howard, and Garmin-Cervélo’s Cam Meyer, but despite this, Dowsett lapped the entire field in a solo breakaway to win the race.
“Matt Wilson was there as well, as were the best of the British Crit riders. I was pretty scared of the event as I haven't ridden a crit since the last year and the Brits do them twice a week. I was lucky to get away so early, I figured the bunch would be looking at us World Tour guys and I have a reputation as a time triallist so I figured there was no way I was going to go clear solo until the end.” Things worked out better than he imagined, though, and he took a storming win.
Being a neo-pro, he won’t do the Tour this year. He’s got a solid programme ahead, though, with the Osterreich Rundfahrt, Post Danmark Rundt, Tour du Poitou-Charentes and the Tour of Britain leading towards his world championship dream. All of those races include an individual time trial, which leaves us to believe it’s no coincidence that he’ll be lining out in them.