BOELS DOLMANS ENDS FOUR YEAR CANYON REIGN
9 October 2016 – Doha, Qatar: 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.
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