“Today I knew it was a good race for me because the course was exactly the kind I like, that suits me”, said Kiryienka.
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Australia’s Rohan Dennis, victor of the opening time trial at the Tour de France in July, had his hopes of claiming the rainbow jersey damaged midway through the race when he ran into mechanical problems and had to change bikes.
“And that’s the way the cookie crumbles”.
Steve Cummings was the top British rider on the day after producing a strong ride to finish 14th, 1:58.59 minutes behind Kiryienka. “On a different level to everyone else today”, Dennis tweeted.
Kiryienka, third at the 2012 worlds in his only prior podium in the event, was the third-to-last starter in a field of 70 but the fastest rider at every checkpoint, adding to a season that saw him win the individual time-trial at this year’s Giro d’Italia.
“The most important thing was it was a race against myself”, Kiryienka said.
“The team helped me prepare, and they supported me”.
“Today I knew it was good for me”.
The course began at a suburban ameusement park and wound through the countryside before reaching the Virginia capital and concluded with a steep 300-meter climb leading to a left turn onto the closing straight.
And Cummings, who won team pursuit silver at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, was content with his display despite failing to secure a top-ten finish that would have sealed Great Britain a second spot in next year’s Olympic time trial. “But we’ll see”.
Malori, 27, is a three-time Italian time-trial champion who captured the 2008 under-23 world championship.
With the big names now all on course, Bialoblocki was enjoying his time in the hot seat while it lasted and soon the Bridgewater-based Pole had to make way for France’s Jerome Coppel, who lopped 55 seconds off Bialoblocki’s time and pushed Cummings out of the medal positions.
“Before the start, it was not in my mind to be on the podium”.
“Maybe I would have come close to a medal”, he said, gazing at the final results. In his comeback, Phinney also competed at the USA Pro Cycling Challenge earlier this year.
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It certainly was not Martin’s day as his bid to match Swiss Fabian Cancellara’s record of four gold medals in the event went flatter than a punctured tire.
