October 09, 2016 (Doha, Qatar) – Canada got off to a strong start at the Road World Championships on Sunday in Doha, Qatar, when three Canadian riders were members of Team Time Trial squads that won medals, including Karol-Ann Canuel (Amos, QC) on the gold medal women’s team.  The Team Time Trial competition is for the top women’s and men’s trade teams.

In the women’s 40 kilometre race, Canuel was one of six riders on the Boels Dolmans squad that took the title with a time of 48 minutes and 41.62 seconds.  The team moved up from silver a year earlier.  Joelle Numainville (Laval, QC) was a member of the bronze medal winning Cervelo Bigla team, that finished one minute and 56.47 back.  Two other Canadians were on the Twenty16-Ridebiker team that finished fifth – Alison Jackson (Vermilion, AB) and Annie Foreman-Mackey (Kingston, ON).

In the men’s 40 kilometre competition, Svein Tuft of Langley, BC, was a member of the Orica-BikeExchange team that finished third, 37.12 seconds behind the winning team of Etiix-Quick Step, who won with a time of 42 minutes and 32.39 seconds.  Two other Canadians rode in the men’s competition, with Hugo Houle (St-Perpetue, QC) on the AG2R La Mondiale team that was 11th and Guillaume Boivin (Montreal, QC) on the Cycling Academy team that was 12th.

Women’s TTT

Boels Dolmans Cycling Team ended the four-year-reign of Canyon Sram Racing in the first event of the UCI Road World Championships Doha 2016. The Dutch outfit finished their 40 kilometre race in 48:41.62 leaving the defending champions 48.24 seconds adrift in second place. Cervelo Bigla Pro Cycling Team took bronze in 50:38.09.

Canyon, who won the previous four women’s team time trial titles in its different incarnations: Specialized-lululemon (2012-2014) and Velocio-SRAM (2015), started fast from Lusail Sports Complex and set the fastest intermediate time in the first 13.6 kilometre section. In the straight section from Lusail to the Pearl Mieke Kroger dropped behind and the five remaining riders lost their momentum.

Meanwhile, Boels Dolmans raised their game keeping the six-women team together on the long straight road, to set the fastest intermediate time in after 26.4 kilometres.

Cervelo and Raboliv were fighting for the bronze in the meantime. Cervelo set the third intermediate time after the first section, with Anna van der Breggen’s Dutch team 15 seconds behind. In the second section Raboliv managed to gain five seconds back, but fate struck once the Dutch ladies entered the Pearl circuit.

Having already dropped Kasia Niewiadoma and Moniek Tenniglo, Anouska Koster crashed into a fence when she tried to hold on to the last wheel of her team mates. Koster was not able to get back on her bike and with only three riders left Raboliv, was out of contention.

Cervelo finished with four riders (Lotta Lepisto, Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio, Joelle Numainville, Stephanie Pohl) having dropped Ciara Horne, Lisa Klein along the way. Their 50:38.09 clocking was more than enough to keep Italian Bepink (51:27.65) behind and grab the bronze.

Canyon also finished with four riders after dropping Hannah Barnes in the final section. Alena Amialiusik, Lisa Brennauer, Elena Cecchini, and Trixi Worrack secured the silver medal in 49:29.86.

Boels-Dolmans kept on pushing to the end, with Lizzie Deignan and Ellen van Dijk taking strong turns on the final straight to the finish line. Chantal Blaak and Evelyn Stevens followed the two big engines, while Christine Majerus and Karol-Ann Canuel were left behind in the final curvy section in the Pearl.

Men’s TTT

Etixx – Quick Step reconquered the World Team Time Trial title after a two-year-reign by BMC Racing. UCI Road World Championships Doha 2016. The Belgian outfit rode the 40 kilometre course from Lusail to the Doha Pearl in 42:32.39 minutes, leaving the defending champions 11.69 behind in second place. Orica-Bike Exchange won a fierce battle for the bronze.

After announcing TagHeuer as their new co-sponsor for the next year on Saturday, the six BMC riders took off from the starting ramp, with all others already underway. Etixx – Quick Step set the fastest intermediate time after completing the 13.6 square in Lusail before heading out for the straight road to The Pearl.

BMC were three seconds behind, with Team Sky and Lotto-Jumbo and Giant-Alpecin also within close range. Orica only set the sixth time in the first section, but the Australian squad picked up ace on the long straight towards The Pearl.

Etixx and BMC were only 0.07 seconds apart at 26.4 kilometres with the Belgians still on top. With Etixx – Quick Step and BMC fighting in a two-horse race for the gold medal, Orica were looking to secure third place. Team Sky dropped Danny van Poppel early and Lotto-Jumbo had to continue with five, after Timo Roosen was left behind in the second section.

Despite having dropped Alexander Edmonson and Michael Hepburn, Orica kept on pushing in the curvy and technical final section in The Pearl. Sky managed to stay ahead of Lotto-Jumbo, but Orica grabbed bronze with Luke Durbridge, Daryl Impey, Michael Matthews and Svein Tuft finishing in 43:09.51.

Etixx stayed together very long, only to drop Julien Vermote at The Pearl. They were five coming onto the final straight with Yves Lampaert having to let the other four (Marcel Kittel, Bob Jungels, Tony Martin and Niki Terpstra) go, when Kittel pushed the team to the edge towards the finish line.

BMC, down to four men at The Pearl circuit, could not keep up the pace they maintained at the straight road from Lusail to Doha. Rohan Dennis, Stefan Kueng, Taylor Phinney and Manuel Quinziato finished 11.69 adrift. After gold in 2014 and 2015, BMC had to settle for silver in 2016. Etixx – Quick Step celebrated their third World TTT title, following their victories  in 2012 and 2013.

Results here.