TONY MARTIN TAKES RECORD-EQUALLING 4TH ITT WORLD TITLE
The German added another gold medal to the one he won with the team last Sunday.
Rolling down the ramp with bib number four, an omen for what was to come 45 minutes later, Tony Martin was motivated to make the most out of the strong form he showcased four days ago, when he led Etixx – Quick-Step to victory in the team time trial. On the 40km-long course which suited him to a tee, the German put in a monster performance to win the World ITT Championships for the fourth time in his career, following the triumphs of 2011, 2012 and 2013, thus equalling a record which was standing for six years.
Tony blitzed the Doha course, setting the reference time at both checkpoints, before concluding the race in 44:42, a result better than the one posted by 9 of the teams who competed in Sunday's time trial. The 31-year-old put 45 seconds into defending champion Vasil Kiryienka (Belarus), who finished runner-up, and more than a minute into Jonathan Castroviejo, the Spaniard who rounded out the podium. Two other Etixx – Quick-Step riders, Yves Lampaert and Bob Jungels, time trialed their way to a good result on Wednesday afternoon, coming home 7th, respectively 10th.
"After taking the gold medal with the team, to win the rainbow jersey in the individual time trial is just the icing on the cake. I was a bit scared by the heat at first, but having a good preparation here in Qatar helped me cope with it. I rode without any pressure, was focused only on what I had to do, and not on my rivals, and to come out on top is really incredible. I haven't had a great year up until this point, but to win two world titles in the space of just four days makes up for everything", said Tony Martin, now one of the two riders to have four victories at the World ITT Championships.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele
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