Cycling, World Championships 2022: the time trial arrives and Italy drops the ace Ganna

On Sunday at 1.35 am, the 95th edition of the 2022 Road Cycling World Championships begins. For the second time the world championship will take place in Australia (the first in 2010). The first scheduled test, the elite time trial, sees Italy as the big favorite with the two-time world champion Filippo Ganna looking for a trio that would equal the achievements of Tony Martin and Michael Rogers. “The last one was an intense period, this week I’m taking the opportunity to recover some mental energy to get fresh from the head of the race” explained the blue. “The 2020 title was a bit unexpected, in the year of Covid, while the 2021 title was more suffered, because it reached the end of the most intense season of my life and with higher expectations. This year has been no less demanding, we will see if the accounts will add up once again ”.

The other blues

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Edoardo Affini, third this year in the Italian time trial championship and ninth in the world championship last year, was also part of the match: “I have readjusted my plans in view of this appointment: I’m trying to get used to the time zone (8 hours, ed), keep the condition and turn your legs well in sight of Sunday. Like all the members of the national team, I will do my best to honor the blue jersey “. Matteo Sobrero, winner of the Verona stage of the Giro this year, is also at the start: “After having had to give up the European Championship in Munich, now the condition is finally good again and I can’t wait to try the route tomorrow”.

The words of the coach

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There is confidence in the Italian retreat starting with the coach Marco Velo. “I am sure I have brought to Australia the best cronomans we have in Italy at the moment for this type of race. I do not deny that I have high expectations, we have all done our utmost to reach 100% ”. As for the opponents, Remco Evenenpoel is certainly the most dangerous. The Belgian came out galvanized by the Vuelta and will finally want to put the difficult period behind him. Also watch out for Stefan Bissegger and Stefan Küng – who left Ganna behind at the recent European Championships in Munich – and Yves Lampaert (Bel), who blew the yellow jersey to the blue in the prologue of this year’s Tour.

give it

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In the women’s field, a monologue by the Dutch is awaited once again, starting with the outgoing world champion Ellen van Dijk and the eternal Van Vleuten (gold in 2017 and 2018). “They are our usual opponents – explains Elisa Longo Borghini – and as always we will try to stay one step ahead of them. Motivation is not lacking, even if the season has been long and hard. I can’t wait to run the mixed relay: it is a test that I like very much and it reflects the health of the movement ”. With her in the Mixed Team Relay there will be Elena Cecchini (bronze last year) and Vittoria Guazzini, vice European time trial champion. Good about her the feelings of her on the eve of her: “It will be a starting point for my career. The ambition is to improve myself and gain experience, with the hope of not returning home empty-handed, but if I have given everything, I will still be satisfied ”.

Program

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Sunday 18th September
Elite women time trial: 1.35
(Arianna Fidanza, Vittoria Guazzini)
Elite Men Time Trial: 5.40
(Edoardo Affini, Filippo Ganna,
Matteo Sobrero)
Monday 19th September
U23 Men Time Trial: 5.20
(Lorenzo Milesi, Davide Piganzoli)
Tuesday 20 September
Time Trial Women Jrs: 1.30
(Federica Venturelli, Alice Toniolli)
Time Trial Men Jrs: 5.20
(Nicolas Milesi, Renato Favero)
Wednesday 21 September
CronoStaffetta From: 6.20
(Edoardo Affini, Filippo Ganna, Matteo Sobrero, Vittoria Guazzini, Elisa Longo Borghini, Elena Cecchini)
Friday 23 September
Online Trial Men Jrs: 0.15
(Dario Belletta, Simone Gualdi, Federico Savino, Matteo Scalco, Giovanni Zordan)
Men’s U23 Road Race: 5
(Nicolò Buratti, Francesco Busatto, Davide De Pretto, Martin Marcellusi, Nicolò Parisini)
Saturday 24th September
Women Jrs online test: 0.00 (Eleonora Ciabocco, Francesca Pellegrini, Gaia Segato, Alice Toniolli, Federica Venturelli)
Online test Women elite: 4.25
(Elisa Balsamo, Marta Bastianelli, Sofia Bertizzolo, Elena Cecchini, Arianna Fidanza, Vittoria Guazzini, Elisa Longo Borghini, Soraya Paladin, Silvia Persico, Silvia Zanardi)
Sunday 25th September
Elite Men Online Trial: 2.15
(Edoardo Affini, Davide Ballerini, Andrea Bagioli, Samuele Battistella, Alberto Bettiol, Nicola Conci, Lorenzo Rota, Matteo Sobrero, Matteo Trentin, Filippo Zana.