What many predict will end up being a massive showdown between four-time champion Fabian Cancellara and the in-form specialist Tony Martin will take place over 46.4 kilometres today, and will be one of the highlights of this world championships.
The contest got underway a short while ago when the Algerian rider Azzedine Lagrab was first to start, beginning his effort at 12.30 pm European time. The first wave of riders will feature 17 riders, with Michael Morkov (Denmark) and Jesse Sergent (New Zealand) standing out as two who could set strong early times.
The second of four waves will begin an hour after the start of the competition, and from this group Irish champion Matt Brammeier, former Swedish title holder Alexander Wetterhall and 2010 U23 national champ Andrew Talansky (USA) are worth keeping an eye on.
Wave number three again starts at half past the hour, with New Zealand’s Jack Bauer setting off at 2.30pm Euro time. Laszlo Bodrogi (France), David McCann (Ireland), Stef Clement (Netherlands), Dominique Cornu (Belgium), Svein Tuft (Canada) and GP Cycliste de Monteal victor Rui Costa (Portugal) are amongst those who will seek to beat those who went before.
The main favourites go in the final wave of riders. Starting with Vasil Kiryienka (Belarus) at 3.30, the group also includes Janez Brajkovic (Slovenia), Jack Bobridge (Australia), former champion Bert Grabsch (Germany), Gustav Larsson (Sweden) and Vuelta third-place finisher Bradley Wiggins (Great Britain). All have a strong past history against the clock. Multiple Italian champion Marco Pinotti (Italy) will set off after Wiggins but has said that he doesn’t expect a high finish due to his recent return from injury; he told VeloNation recently that he is travelling to the worlds after a request by national coach Paolo Bettini and that he is interested to see how his body responds after such a long break.
Lieuwe Westra (Netherlands) and Jakob Fuglsang (Denmark) will go soon afterwards, then Austaralia’s big hope Richie Porte begins his effort. He was fourth last year and wants a medal this time round, although the flat course may not suit his abilities as well as a lumpier one would.
America’s big hope is fifth last to start; last year Taylor Phinney became world under 23 champion and is aiming for an Elite medal this time round. He is followed by the Russian Mikhail Ignatyev, who has been world champion at the junior and Under 23 level in this discipline.
2011 runner-up David Millar then begins his time trial at 15.49.30. He admits that he isn’t sure about his chances due to a break in racing due to the birth of his son plus the flat course, but will give everything anyway. He is followed a minute and a half later by Martin, third last year after a puncture, who is hugely motivated after winning time trials in the Critérium du Dauphiné, the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España.
He beat Fabian Cancellara in the latter two events and believes this year could be his year. Cancellara says his form has arrived, though, and that he is ready to battle for gold medal number five. It promises to be a titanic struggle.
Elite Men’s time trial, 46.4 km (2 x 23.2)
Wave 1:
12:30:00 - 65, Azzedine Lagab (Algeria)
12:31:30 - 64, Tyron Giorgieri (Albania)
12:33:00 - 63, Ivan Mauricio Casas Buitrago (Colombia)
12:34:30 - 62, Ioannis Tamouridis (Greece)
12:36:00 - 61, Pavol Polievka (Slovakia)
12:37:30 - 60, Michael Morkov (Denmark)
12:39:00 - 59, Vitaliy Popkov (Ukraine)
12:40:30 - 58, Semere Mengis (Eritrea)
12:42:00 - 57, Carlos Oyarzun (Chile)
12:43:30 - 56, Martin Kohler (Switzerland)
12:45:00 - 55, Jesse Sergent (New Zealand)
12:46:30 - 54, Thomas De Gendt (Belgium)
12:48:00 - 53, Matias Medici (Argentina)
12:49:30 - 52, Eugen Wacker (Kyrgyzstan)
12:51:00 - 51, Maciej Bodnar (Poland)
12:52:30 - 50, Gediminas Bagdonas (Lithuania)
12:54:00 - 49, Dimitri Champion (France)
Wave 2:
13:30:00 - 48, Simone Zignoli (Albania)
13:31:30 - 47, Matt Brammeier (Ireland)
13:33:00 - 46, Alexandr Dyachenko (Kazakhstan)
13:34:30 - 45, David Albos (Andorra)
13:36:00 - 44, Matti Helminen (Finland)
13:37:30 - 43, Oleksandr Kvachuk (Ukraine)
13:39:00 - 42, Tomas Aurelio Gil Martinez (Venezuela)
13:40:30 - 41, Winer Andrew Anacona Gomez (Colombia)
13:42:00 - 40, Rafaa Chtioui (Tunisia)
13:43:30 - 39, Jonathan Castroviejo Nicolas (Spain)
13:45:00 - 38, Robert Vrecer (Slovenia)
13:46:30 - 37, Reidar Borgersen (Norway)
13:48:00 - 36, Alexander Wetterhall (Sweden)
13:49:30 - 35, Jiri Hudecek (Czech Republic)
13:51:00 - 34, Andrew Talansky (United States of America)
13:52:30 - 33, Vladimir Gusev (Russian Federation)
Wave 3:
14:30:00 - 32, Jack Bauer (New Zealand)
14:31:30 - 31, Frekalsi Debesay (Eritrea)
14:33:00 - 30, Laszlo Bodrogi (France)
14:34:30 - 29, Adriano Malori (Italy)
14:36:00 - 28, David McCann (Ireland)
14:37:30 - 27, Leandro Messineo (Argentina)
14:39:00 - 26, Stef Clement (Netherlands)
14:40:30 - 25, Ignatas Konovalovas (Lithuania)
14:42:00 - 24, Matej Jurco (Slovakia)
14:43:30 - 23, Michal Kwiatkowski (Poland)
14:45:00 - 22, Dmitriy Gruzdev (Kazakhstan)
14:46:30 - 21, Dominique Cornu (Belgium)
14:48:00 - 20, Jesus Herrada Lopez (Spain)
14:49:30 - 19, Svein Tuft (Canada)
14:51:00 - 18, Frantisek Rabon (Czech Republic)
14:52:30 - 17, Rui Alberto Faria Da Costa (Portugal)
Wave 4:
15:30:00 - 16, Vasil Kiryienka (Belarus)
15:31:30 - 15, Janez Brajkovic (Slovenia)
15:33:00 - 14, Jack Bobridge (Australia)
15:34:30 - 13, Bert Grabsch (Germany)
15:36:00 - 12, Gustav Larsson (Sweden)
15:37:30 - 11, Bradley Wiggins (Great Britain)
15:39:00 - 10, Marco Pinotti (Italy)
15:40:30 - 9, Lieuwe Westra (Netherlands)
15:42:00 - 8, Nélson Oliveira (Portugal)
15:43:30 - 7, Jakob Fuglsang (Denmark)
15:45:00 - 6, Richie Porte (Australia)
15:46:30 - 5, Taylor Phinney (United States of America)
15:48:00 - 4, Mikhail Ignatyev (Russian Federation)
15:49:30 - 3, David Millar (Great Britain)
15:51:00 - 2, Tony Martin (Germany)
15:52:30 - 1, Fabian Cancellara (Switzerland)