Kirchmann just misses out on time trial medal, Canuel eighth at Innsbruck 2018
Dutch podium domination
It was close for Leah Kirchmann on Tuesday at the 2018 UCI Road World Championships in Innsbruck, Austria, as the Canadian placed fourth in the elite women’s time trial, 1.62-seconds from the bronze medal. Annemiek van Vleuten repeated as world champion, and the Dutch swept the podium. Canada placed two in the top-8 as Karol-Ann Canuel also rolled an impressive chrono.
So far it's looking good for @AvVleuten ??
Looks like the defending Champion ? will keep her title!#InnsbruckTirol2018 pic.twitter.com/Q1NqmlzNxG— UCI (@UCI_cycling) September 25, 2018
The early event was the Junior Men‘s 27.8-km race against the clock, the same route the U23 men rode on Monday. There, Belgian Remco Evenepoel took the gold with a time of 33:15, Australian Luke Plapp securing silver with 34:39. Italian Andrea Piccolo rounded out the podium. Conor Martin was top Canadian in 25th and Ben Katerberg did not finish.
Men Junior Time Trial Podium ?
? @EvenepoelRemco ??
? Lucas Plapp ??
?Andrea Piccolo ??#InnbruckTirol2018 pic.twitter.com/8fVYhAKuZB— UCI (@UCI_cycling) September 25, 2018
Canadian champion Leah Kirchmann was going great guns on the elite women’s course, the same as the Junior men’s, marking the fastest time at the 18.1-km mark, 23:18. Lucinda Brand of the Netherlands was on the hot seat at this point. Brand’s compatriot, who took silver in 2016, Ellen van Dijk came through the 18.1-km point six-seconds faster than Kirchmann.
Kirchmann bumped Brand with 35:52.
?? Leah Kirchmann moves into the hot seat in the women's ITT after an absolutely fabulous time trial! #InnsbruckTirol2018 pic.twitter.com/iMi0sq39cv
— Canadian Cycling Mag (@CanadianCycling) September 25, 2018
Her Sunweb teammate van Dijk lost time on the last section of the race but nipped Kirchmann by 1.6-seconds.
#InnsbruckTirol2018 @ellenvdijk sets the new fastest time at the finish! #KeepChallenging pic.twitter.com/8ACfdqcBDr
— Team Sunweb (@TeamSunweb) September 25, 2018
Current Olympic road champion and two time silver medalist in the chrono, Anna van der Breggen destroyed her countryman van Dijk’s intermediate time.
With van der Breggen assuming the throne at 34:54, only reigning time trial champ Annemiek van Vleuten could push Kirchmann off the podium.
Canuel posted the eighth best split time. It was clear that van Vleuten was crushing the course and her high mark was 34:25 to keep the rainbow jersey.
Only three countries placed riders in the top-8: the Netherlands, Canada and the U.S.A.
Wednesday is the final time trial, the elite men’s contest, before the road race begin.
2018 UCI Road Championships Elite Women’s Time Trial
1) Annemiek van Vleuten (The Netherlands) 34:25
2) Anna van der Breggen (The Netherlands) +0:29
3) Ellen van Dijk (The Netherlands) +1:25
4) Leah Kirchmann (Canada) +1:26
8) Karol-Ann Canuel (Canada) +2:15
2018 UCI Road Championships Junior Men’s Time Trial
1) Remco Evenepoel (Belgium) 33:15
2) Luke Plapp (Australia) +1:24
3) Andrea Piccolo (Italy) +1:38
25) Conor Martin (Canada) +3:36
