A multiple winner of time trials in the Grand Tours, Australia’s Rohan Dennis won the Men’s Elite Individual Time Trial at the UCI Road World Championships for the first time in his favourite event. Dennis smashed the times of defending champion Tom Dumoulin from the Netherlands and Belgium’s Victor Campenaerts who finished in the same second, 1’21″ down.
Dennis, 28, is the second Australian to take the Rainbow Jersey in the Men’s Elite Time Trial after Michael Rogers who claimed three titles in a row from 2003 to 2005. Dennis’ previous best result since turning pro in 2013 was fifth in 2014.
The winner Rohan Dennis said in the press conference: “It has taken me a long time to get the Rainbow Jersey. In the last four years, there were people doing better than me but Australia kept putting me in the team, supporting me every year. I thank them for that, also my wife who must be pretty happy now, my team, my coach. I didn’t expect to win by so much. I thought it would be a battle until the last kilometre.
“I didn’t believe the gap at the top of the hill, so I continued to push till the finish. Next year I’ll have free rein to prepare for the Grand Tours but in 2020 my big goal will be the Time Trial at the Olympics in Tokyo. It will be a juggling match with Tom Dumoulin again.”
Tom Dumoulin, second, said: “I arrived on the start line with the goal of being the World Champion again but Rohan [Dennis] was outstanding, that’s my story of the day. It’s been a physical and mental struggle for an hour. I wouldn’t be second if I didn’t fight my way until the finish. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. I had a bad time trial in Richmond three years ago and I had my best road race after that, so I’m going in it with an open mind on Sunday.”
Victor Campenaerts, third, said:: “I knew that Tom Dumoulin and Rohan Dennis were one step above me, so the race I was here for was for the third place. Therefore, I have no regret to miss out on the second place by very little. It’s like a victory for me to be on the podium. It makes me super happy. I started believing I could do it when I made the top three of the opening Time Trial of the Giro d’Italia in Jerusalem along with these two guys.”
MEN ELITE INDIVIDUAL TIME TRIAL PODIUM
1 – Rohan Dennis – 52.1km in 1h03’02.57”, average speed 49.585km/h
2 – Tom Dumoulin at 1’21.09”
3 – Victor Campenaerts at 1’21.62”
