World Cycling Championships: German women save World Cup silver in mixed time trial

The Netherlands won the first mixed time trial on the road in a World Cycling Championship. For 22 seconds, Oranje was led by Bauke Mollema and Lucinda Brand in front of the German team, to which the women's trio with Lisa Brennauer, Lisa Klein and Franziska Koch secured the silver medal after catching up. Third place went to host Britain after 28 kilometers with start and finish in Harrogate. Unlike the German team started the other teams but not in full.

The first podium of # Yorkshire2019. pic.twitter.com/ZXDrKEuFSQ

The first round of each team drove the men's trio, as soon as the riders reached the start and finish line in Harrogate, the women took over. Top time rider Tony Martin, Nils Politt and Jasha Sütterlin had only achieved the fifth best time in half. There was an unfamiliar picture: Just a few miles before the transfer Martin let go. After the grueling Tour of Spain, in which Martin had to give up after a fall, he does not seem to be in top form. The women trio Brennauer, Klein and Kröger caught up with the residue and rescued silver. For Martin it was the tenth World Cup medal, in total he has won four gold and three silver and bronze medals.

Germany has only few medal chances

For the German team it could have been the first and last medal at the start of the World Cup. Martin hopes in the individual time trial again on a podium finish, but is no longer a favorite. In the road race, the chances after the loss of hope Maximilian Schachmann are rather low. In the case of women, the Dutch are likely to play their advantage again.

Martin's biggest rivals, whom he will meet at the individual time trial on Wednesday, all had to forego a start in the mixed. So lacked Vuelta champion Primoz Roglic in the team of the Slovenes, young star Remco Evenepoel waived a commitment to the Belgians. For time trial world champion Rohan Dennis, the question did not arise because Australia sent no team at the start. And the former ex-tour winner Geraint Thomas said his participation in all time trial competitions due to a lack of form.

The World Association UCI wants to promote equal opportunities between men and women in cycling with the reintroduction of the mixed competition. The competition was in the program for the team time trial of the professional teams.