Phinney, Martin and Kiryienka filled the podium in Valkenburg today
Michael Hutchinson has made his Ireland debut at the World TT Championships in Valkenburg, finishing 46th of the elite men’s field today. He ceded 5:22 to Germany’s Tony Martin who retained the world title he won in Copenhagen 12 months ago.
Hutchinson was off 7th in the running order and had to contend with greasy conditions following rainfall, with the roads drying up somewhat for those off later.
“It was in the middle of a storm and there were obviously technical sections, it was cold and windy so probably not ideal conditions to ride a bike,” he told stickybottle after his test.
While not overwhelmed by his result he said he felt he gave a good account of himself.
“I suppose people try to decide whether things are a triumph or a disaster but I’d say I was probably somewhere in between. I was happy enough I certainly didn’t think I had a hell of a lot more to give.”
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The 38-year-old from Northern Ireland has always ridden as a British rider but declared for Ireland last year, won the national TT title this year and then gained selection for Valkenburg. He was participating at just his first Worlds, despite having been the most dominant TT rider of his generation on the British domestic scene.
“I was certainly very pleased that I was selected and very pleased to be riding at a Worlds. In terms of some of the other stages I’ve ridden on, it was more relaxed; certainly nothing like the kind of security you’d see at a Commonwealth Games.”
Hutchinson only rode his first race aged 23 years, when he was still rowing competitively, and only started racing properly aged 26 years. Because of his late arrival to the sport, he says he remains fresh of mind and enthusiastic and would be keen to ride again for Ireland in the years ahead.
With the riders off two minutes apart today, he caught his two minute man and then overhauled his four minute man.
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The Irish rider was 50th at the first time check, and 47th at the second and third before finishing the 45.7km test, which included the Cauberg climb near the end, in 46th place.
Tony Martin just about held off the young American Taylor Phinney, but by a very close margin of 5.37 seconds.
The American fluffed his lines a little on the Cauberg when riding for his BMC team in the trade team world TT race on Sunday but really learned from that and blasted around the course today, making Martin work every inch to defend the title.
Phinney, who turned just 22-years in June and is managed by Andrew McQuaid, showed his class and potential in pushing the usually dominant Martin so hard all the way.
The bronze medal today was something of a surprise, going to Vasil Kiryienka. While perhaps not anyone’s favourite for the podium pre-race, the Belarusian has been national TT champion three times, has won two stages in the Giro, two U23 European track titles and this year was 6th in the Critérium du Dauphiné.
Elite Men’s TT World Championships
1 Tony Martin (Germany) 0:58:38.80
2 Taylor Phinney (United States Of America) 0:00:05.37
3 Vasil Kiryienka (Belarus) 0:01:44.99
4 Tejay Van Garderen (United States Of America) 0:01:49.37
5 Fredrik Carl Wilhelm Kessiakoff (Sweden) 0:01:50.56
6 Dmitriy Gruzdev (Kazakhstan) 0:01:56.44
7 Jan Barta (Czech Republic) 0:02:12.49
8 Alex Dowsett (Great Britain) 0:02:26.06
9 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spain) 0:02:30.00
10 Adriano Malori (Italy) 0:02:40.54
11 Andriy Grivko (Ukraine) 0:02:43.69
12 Svein Tuft (Canada) 0:02:56.24
13 Tanel Kangert (Estonia) 0:02:57.13
14 Riccardo Zoidl (Austria) 0:02:57.27
15 Sylvain Chavanel (France) 0:02:58.15
46 Michael Hutchinson (Ireland) 0:05:22.86
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