Earlier in the day, the women’s team time trial event was taken by Specialized-Lululemon, outpowering Orica-AIS and AA-Drink-Leontien.nl on what was an equally challenging, undulating, 34.2 kilometre course.
In what quickly became a duel between the German and Australian squads, Specialized-Lululemon were a mere second ahead of Orica-AIS after the first, flatter third of the course. However, as soon as the climbs kicked in, after Ina-Yoko Teutenberg had driven all out early on, it became clear that Specialized-Lululemon had also – crucially – kept back enough reserve strength in their line-up once the roads began to steepen.
At the second time check, Orica-AIS had lost 13 seconds on Specialized-Lululemon, and although the Australians put up the best resistance they could, with just four riders remaining, they could not afford to take any risks on a course so demanding that even the slightest weakness was quickly revealed.
Finally Orica-AIS claimed a time of 1-35 quicker than the previous best set by AA-Drink – Leontien.nl when they stormed across the line but with the Specialized-Lululemon team still to come, their reign at the top of the classification was due to be very-lived indeed.
With the team still a cohesive unit as it came over the top of the Cauberg – just as for the men, the final test of strength – Specialized-Lululemon squad, the fastest time at all the checkpoints, clinched the win by 24 seconds to become the first ever women’s team time trial World Champions.
“We practiced it lots this week,” Evelyn Stevens, one of the winning team’s key riders on the climbs, said afterwards, “but we were already out here in the spring to look at this course.”
“It was very technical, you had to calculate your effort just right, but we knew exactly how to tackle it. And to get the win after so much preparation and such a long build-up is something very special indeed.”
Race Results
(2012) - Women's UCI Team Time Trial World Championships
1 Team Specialized – Lululemon 0:46:31.60
Charlotte Becker (Ger)
Amber Neben (USA)
Evelyn Stevens (USA)
Ina Teutenberg (Ger)
Eleonora Van Dijk (Ned)
Trixi Worrack (Ger)
2 Orica – Ais 0:00:24.19
Judith Arndt (Ger)
Shara Gillow (Aus)
Loes Gunnewijk (Ned)
Melissa Hoskins (Aus)
Alexis Rhodes (Aus)
Linda Melanie Villumsen (NZl)
3 Aa Drink – Leontien.Nl Cycling Team 0:01:59.32
Chantal Blaak (Ned)
Lucinda Brand (Ned)
Jessie Daams (Bel)
Sharon Laws (GBr)
Emma Pooley (GBr)
Kirsten Wild (Ned)
4 Rabobank Women Cyclng Team 0:02:20.40
Tatiana Antoshina (Rus)
Thalita De Jong (Ned)
Pauline Ferrand Prevot (Fra)
Iris Slappendel (Ned)
Annemiek Van Vleuten (Ned)
Marianne Vos (Ned)
5 Rusvelo 0:02:30.58
Natalia Boyarskaya (Rus)
Svetlana Bubnenkova (Rus)
Romy Kasper (Ger)
Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger)
Irina Molicheva (Rus)
Olga Zabelinskaya (Rus)
6 Be Pink 0:03:14.80
Alena Amialiusik (Blr)
Noemi Cantele (Ita)
Simona Frapporti (Ita)
Elke Gebhardt (Ger)
Julia Martisova (Rus)
Silvia Valsecchi (Ita)
7 S.C. Michela Fanini Rox 0:04:37.26
Alexandra Burchenkova (Rus)
Verónica Leal Balderas (Mex)
Martina Ruzickova (Cze)
Azucena Sanchez Benito (Spa)
Valentina Scandolara (Ita)
Grete Treier (Est)
8 Hitec Products – Mistral Home Cycling Team 0:04:38.04
Tone Hatteland Lima (Nor)
Cecilie Gotaas Johnsen (Nor)
Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita)
Emilie Moberg (Nor)
Lise Nöstvold (Nor)
Thea Thorsen (Nor)
9 Dolmans – Boels Cyclingteam 0:05:00.17
Martine Bras (Ned)
Janneke Ensing (Ned)
Nina Kessler (Ned)
Pauliena Rooijakkers (Ned)
Winanda Spoor (Ned)
Emma Trott (GBr)
10 Lotto Belisol Ladies 0:05:31.99
Robyn De Groot (RSA)
Sofie De Vuyst (Bel)
Ann-Sofie Duyck (Bel)
Kaat Hannes (Bel)
Ludivine Henrion (Bel)
Kim Schoonbaert (Bel)
11 Skil 1T4I 0:05:33.31
Suzanne De Goede (Ned)
Kelly Markus (Ned)
Amy Pieters (Ned)
Esra Tromp (Ned)
Monique Van De Ree (Ned)
Adrie Visser (Ned)
12 Sengers Ladies Cycling Team 0:05:45.91
Kimberly Buyl (Bel)
Vera Koedooder (Ned)
Claudia Koster (Ned)
Birgit Lavrijssen (Ned)
Inge Roggeman (Bel)
Geerike Schreurs (Ned)
