With many countries holding their national road races and time trials in the same week, many have got the first part out of the way already. The majority of road races will be held at the weekend, with the time trials mid-week; only Italy bucks the trend and held its road race today.
Noemi Cantele takes a long overdue tricolore
Noemi Cantele (Garmin-Cervélo) finally took her first ever senior road tricolore, some twelve years after the second of her junior titles. The 2009 national time trial champion beat the current holder of the title Tatiana Guderzo (Fiamme Azzurre) in a two-rider sprint at the end of the 119km course in Milazzo, on the north coast of Sicily. Silvia Valsecchi (Top Girls-Fassa Bortolo) took the bronze medal some 1’08” back.
Cantele and Guderzo escaped the rest of the peloton in the eighth of eleven laps, each of which featured a climb at around halfway; Valsecchi managed to join the two of them, but was dropped again on lap nine. At the finish Cantele easily managed to outsprint Guderzo to take the red, white and green jersey in the country’s 150th year.
“Starting with dossard number 1; when I had it before the race I didn't think of deserve it,” said Cantele after the race. But in the end it was a good omen. Next year, when I ride the championships, I'll know the number one is deserved. It was a tough championships, with some big names, if you wanted to make a difference, you had to attack.
“Maybe I attacked too soon, but in the end it was better this way. Am I happy? I’m delighted!”
Cantele will now be the overwhelming favourite to retake her time trial title in Sunday’s 28.7km race.
Result Italian road race championship
1. Noemi Cantele (Ita) Garmin-Cervélo
2. Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) Fiamme Azzurre
3. Silvia Valsecchi (Ita) Top Girls-Fassa Bortolo-Ghezzi @ 1’08”
4. Valentina Bastianelli (Ita) Vaiano Tepso Solaristech @ 2’19”
5. Valentina Scandolara (Ita) Gauss-RDZ-Ormu
6. Rossella Callovi (Ita) Centro Sportivo Esercito
7. Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Gruppo Sportivo Forestale
8. Elena Berlato (Ita) Top Girls-Fassa Bortolo-Ghezzi
9. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Top Girls-Fassa Bortolo-Ghezzi
10. Monia Baccaille (Ita) Fiamme Azzurre @ 4’12”
Evie Stevens retains US time trial title
Starting last as defending champion, Evie Stevens (HTC-Highroad) beat teammate and 2008 World champion Amber Neben by a single second to take her second consecutive US time trial title in Augusta, Georgia. Neben had previously gone more than a minute faster than the time set by Olympic champion Kristin Armstrong (Peanut Butter & Co-TWENTY12).
Result US time trial championship
1. Evelyn Stevens (USA) HTC-Highroad
2. Amber Neben (USA) HTC-Highroad @ 1s
3. Kristin Armstrong (USA) Peanut Butter & Co-TWENTY12 @ 1’18”
4. Amanda Miler (USA) HTC-Highroad @ 1’34”
5. Alison Starnes (USA) Peanut Butter & Co-TWENTY12 @ 1’53”
Marianne Vos holds on to Dutch time trial driekleur
Dutch sensation Marianne Vos (Nederland Bloeit) continued the unbeatable streak that has seen her take the Valladolid World Cup, Durango-Durango, and the Iuretta-Emakumeen Bira and Raboster Zeeuwsche Eilanden stage races, with a close victory in her national time trial championships. Vos successfully defended the title she won last year by a narrow six second margin over fomer champion Ellen Van Dijk (HTC-Highroad).
Vos’ teammate Loes Gunnewijk, the reigning road race champion, was third, 1’04” behind.
Result Netherlands time trial championship
1. Marianne Vos (Ned) Nederland Bloeit
2. Ellen Van Dijk (Ned) HTC-Highroad @ 6s
3. Loes Gunnewijk (Ned) Nederland Bloeit @ 1’04”
4. Iris Slappendel (Ned) Garmin-Cervélo @ 1’06”
5. Kirsten Wild (Ned) AA Drink-Leontien.nl @ 1’18”
Emilia Fahlin takes third successive Swedish time trial title
Reigning champion Emilia Fahlin (HTC-Highroad) beat road race champion, and three-time time trial champion Emma Johansson (Hitec Products-UCK) by 38 seconds to take her own third, consecutive, title in the event. Johansson’s teammate Sara Mustonen finished in third place, 1’38” behind, to make an identical podium to last year.
Result Swedish time trial championship
1. Emilia Fahlin (Swe) HTC-Highroad
2. Emma Johansson (Swe) Hitec Products-UCK @ 39s
3. Sara Mustonen (Swe) Hitec Products-UCK @ 1’38”
4. Malin Rydlund (Swe) Alriksson Go:Green @ 2’19”
5. Karin Aune (Swe) Michela Fanini-Record-Rox @ 2’44”
Swiss time trial championship
1. Pascal Schnider (Swi) Bike-import.ch
2. Patricia Schwager (Swi) Nederland Bloeit @ 57s
3. Caroline Steffen (Swi) @ 1’09”
4. Doris Schweizer (Swi) @ 2’16”
5. Nicole Hanselmann (Swi) Bike-import.ch @ 2’38”
French time trial championship
1. Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli (Fra)
2. Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (Fra) Gauss-RDZ-Ormu @ 42s
3. Audrey Cordon (Fra) Vienne-Fururoscope @ 52s
4. Pauline Ferrand Prevot (Fra) @ 57s
5. Edwige Pitel (Fra) Vienne-Futuroscope @ 1’20”
Canadian time trial championship
1. Clara Hughes (Can)
2. Tara Whitten (Can) Team Tibco @ 21s
3. Rhae-Christie Shaw (Can) @ 22s
4. Julie Beveridge (Can) Vienne-Futuroscope @ 1’07”
5. Sue Schlatter (Can) Stevens Racing @ 1’10”