For the second year in a row, the ARA Australian Cycling Team has won the UCI World Championship in the Team Time Trial Mixed Relay.
The Australian squad edged out France by five seconds to reclaim the rainbow jerseys in Kigali today.
This year’s TTT was held on two laps of a tough course that ended atop a partially cobbled climb to Kigali Convention Centre, for a total distance of 41.8km.
(L-R) Vine, Plapp and Matthews set off down the start ramp. (Simon Wilkinson / SWpix.com)
Last off the start ramp as defending champions, Luke Plapp, Michael Matthews and Jay Vine rode a superb first leg, setting the fastest intermediate time check.
At the end of their lap, the men handed a solid 33-second lead over France to Amanda Spratt, Brodie Chapman and under-23 rider Felicity Wilson-Haffenden.
Amanda Spratt (right) leads Chapman and Wilson-Haffenden. (Simon Wilkinson / SWpix.com)
Wilson-Haffenden, just 20 years old, emptied the tank on the flatter opening sections before leaving Spratt and Chapman to finish the job.
The brutal gradients of the final climb began to eat into Australia’s advantage, but Chapman powered along the final kilometre with Spratt in her wheel. With five seconds to spare, the pair crossed the line to secure back-to-back world titles.
“I knew from the cobbled climb on it was going to be like hell – just push through, push through, and Brodie was so strong in that last part,” Spratt said on the official broadcast. “I knew I just had to hold the wheel, and it was going to be close. I could hear Whitey, our director, just screaming to sprint, sprint, sprint.
“We knew it was close, but it's just so special. It’s my first time doing the nations team time trial and it's just incredible to pull it off with the team.”
The back-to-back world champions from Australia. (Simon Wilkinson / SWpix.com)
Michael Matthews, along with Chapman and Vine, was part of Australia’s winning team in Zurich 12 months ago.
“It’s not often we get a chance to ride with other Aussies like this in a full Aussie event,” Matthews said on the broadcast.
“We had full focus for this after we won last year. Just being back with the team, mixing it with the girls the last few days and just putting it together today was the cherry on top of the cake.”
Brodie Chapman celebrates after crossing the line. (Alex Whitehead / SWpix.com)
“We knew it was going to be a hard fight and to back it up a second year," Chapman said. "It feels really special. I think everybody absolutely emptied themselves, and it's just it's such a good vibe altogether on the podium − all the staff, it feels really, really good.
"The key for today's success, I believe, was preparation, adaptation, and also just paying back all the work that the Australian team has done. I mean, we had a camp in Andorra beforehand. We all spoke a lot about the plan. We knew every section of the race. I really think it was just we really knew that we'd worked hard for it and it was going to pay off."
Results - Team Time Trial Mixed Relay
🥇 Australia 54:30.47
🥈 France +5.24
🥉 Switzerland +10.00
Feature photo: Alex Whitehead / SWpix.com