Sir Bradley Wiggins has won the UCI World Championship Time Trial in Ponferrada , Spain, to add to the Olympic title he won in London two years ago. Once again, the man he beat into second place was Germany’s Tony Martin, today by the impressive margin of 26 seconds, with Tom Dumoulin of the Netherlands third, a further quarter of a minute back.
It had been billed as a two-horse race, particularly in the absence of four-time champion Fabian Cancellara, and that’s how it turned out as only Martin and Wiggins occupied the fastest two spots in the list of split times throughout.
At the first, the German, seeking his fourth successive win, led by 4 seconds, but Wiggins had edged ahead at the second and by the third, with the tougher, hillier part of the 47.1km course still to come, he was 10 seconds ahead.
Wiggins is the only man to have won the Tour de France and to have been an Olympic and world champion on both the road and the track.
He becomes only the second British male winner of the rainbow jersey in the discipline after Chris Boardman won the first edition in 1994 – David Millar’s 2003 victory was taken away from him after he admitted to doping the following year.
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Sir Bradley Wiggins, new World Time Trial Champion
“I don't know what to say. I knew coming into it I had the legs and when I saw the course I realised that if I was ever going to beat Tony again it would be on a course like this.
"It's been an up-and-down year and I want to dedicate this to my family. My wife and children back home have always been there for me and had to put up with me. This was my last world time trial championships, so to finish it with a gold medal – I don't know what to say.
I've prepared for things like this so many times in the past and when I know the form and the condition is there, I'm quite relaxed. I know what I have to do once I get out on the bike, so it's just a case of waiting all day. The weather turned out good and I had a good team time trial on Sunday – knew I was strong there so... job done.
"I knew the difference would be made on that final loop. I paced it perfectly and I still had gas in the final. Even on that last descent, I heard I was 10 seconds up but I was pushing all the way and not taking any risks. It was superb.
"The hour record is my next big goal now, but to add the world title to the British title and the Olympic title means I've got the set, so it's very good, fantastic."
Runner-up, Tony Martin
"To be honest it's really hard to get beaten on a day like this," Martin said. "I was motivated, I had the goal to get the gold medal again today. Nothing else counted for me. Even the silver medal doesn't make it better for me to be honest, but I know it is still a good result.
"I'm really disappointed, but that's cycling, that's sport. I'm not a machine. I know that almost everyone expected me to win, but I always said a few riders, especially Bradley, always have a big chance. I already felt tired in the team time trial. For sure it wasn't best for the morale and preparation for today.
"I was a little tired also today and I think that was the biggest factor. I couldn't battle Bradley in the final of this race with my condition. Now I have to analyse and do better next year. Congratulations to Bradley as he is a great talent in this discipline and deserves to be world champion."
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62 comments
FTFY
The likes of Nibali eh? You might want to check who came 3rd the year Brad won.
I presume on your logic the likes of Anquetil and Indurain fall short of being real grand tour riders?
It's only relatively recently that grand tours have been consistently won and lost on mountain top finishes. It might be argued that someone breaking that predictable model every so often is the opposite of boring.
My whole comment was not published but regardless, WHEN Nibali won his tour this year he did so by attacking alone wheras Wiggins had a course made for him and a whole team riding for him alone and he was hardly convincing with his win after Froomey could have dropped him anytime on the climbs and gone for the win had he not been shackled. No, i don't exclude the likes of Indurain as they won multiple tours so proved themselves time and again not just one year.
Also, my initial comment having not been entirely published was not meant as Wiggo Bashing but a reality check to a few that had suggested that he is an all time great road rider and should have been at the TDF based on his form over a 50km (or so!) TT this year which hardly reflected his abilty or fitness to win a Grand Tour in 2014. He did amazingly well to win his TDF when he did but lets be realistic, its not likely to happen again and the cards were heavily stacked in his favour for his win with the course, team and lack of some big name riders that year ie Contador who would not have waited for him like Froome did!!! Had that happened then it would have been an entirely different race but its all if's and but's and Wiggo gets his TDF win so good for him and British Cycling.
Could have shaved a few seconds off that as well without the beard
Got to love Wiggins post race interviews...
Interviewer: What went through you mind when you woke this morning?
Wiggins: I needed a wee.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYGCy3rw30o&t=51s
Sir Wiggo firmly back as Britain's favourite. Great ride, grand chapeau.
So Sir Brad joins Indurain and Ullrich as having such ridiculous talent to be able to win the Tour de France and the World Road TT Championship. I believe he's also the only Tour champion to also be an Olympic champ in the velodrome. He must go down as one of the most talented cyclists of all time - perhaps THE most talented if you only count clean riders! Chapeau Wiggins.
The 34-year-old Londoner has now has won six world track titles, four Olympic golds medals, a world time trial title and a Tour de France.
Yep, that's class. I really want to see him win a classic now...
+1,000,000
Simply superb.
And to the sniping armchair moaners -
Sky should be happy with that ..... if only they had put him in the TDF.
Personally now I want to see Bradley attempt to beat Obree's land speed record on a bike.
I liked his comment about dedicating the win to his family who had to put up with him in July. Nice little dig.
I thought Martin would take it as he has been monstrous this season, but wow Wiggins just totally smashed it. You could see how much he wanted to win it, had absolutely nothing left over the line, amazing ride. I think he's said this is his last Worlds so it's a good sign off really!
Bear in mind,Tony Martin has competed in both the Tour de France and the Vuelta whereas Wiggins comes off a short Tour of Britain and was alot fresher
It was obvious Martin was fatigued after his epic year otherwise the tables would have be turned
I'm afraid that is utter bollocks.
Lol, thats the best comment i've seen in ages mate
Laughably silly comment. 'Obvious' in what way? TM came second didn't he? He can't have been that fatigued.
Gah! Why the need to be so negative? If things had happened differently this year, the result might have been different. So f$%*ing what?! It was a storming ride by Wiggo. Can't you just be happy for him?
You do know, don't you, that when Brad beat Martin in the Olympic TT he'd only just won the TdF (rather than abandoning) and had also helped pull the road team around the Olympic road course (in vain)? The challenge for Wiggo would've been that his build up to this ride wouldn't have been tough enough preparation.
By the way, Martin abandoned the Vuelta before the second rest day.
You do know that Tony Martin broke his wrist on stage one of that TDF?
Great advice, in fact I'm shocked BC didn't pick me for the TT, having built up my form all year on the couch, only eating the poshest of crisps with my earl grey tea.
BW does 47.1k in 56.25mins on the road, Jens does 51.15k in 60.00mins on the track.
Not looking good for Jens hour record. (not sure about CB's).
We all knew that was a given as soon as any of the serious TT riders were going to get on the hour record.
Yea I was thinking that, and no hills etc!
The likes of Wiggins, Martin & Cancellara were always going to beat Jensie. It's just that he was brave enough to be the first one with the new rules to give it a go and set a benchmark!
Be fascinating to see what distances those 3 can lay down!
Very, very well done Brad! Not good enough for a plan B, eh?!
Brilliant ride by Wiggo and so close for Kiryienka to get on the podium.
Mind you it was typical Wiggins in the interview afterwards commenting on wanting a wee ! fab answer.
Just imagine how much more Froome would have won it by if he'd been there instead?
Also, you can only imagine the amount of illegal drafting/external support Wiggins must have had to have stolen the title from Martin... bloody cheating english.
I can't think of any more typical Wiggins detractor comments to post, so instead will simply say really well done Wiggins! Great stuff.
You forgot the stuff about him being born in Belgium to an Australian father, etc etc
Congratulations to Wiggins.
Fantastic ride! Current national, world and Olympic time trial champion. Not a bad set of titles!
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