Just one week after winning the Vuelta a España, Chris Froome will suit up to race Sunday in the world team time trial championships. The Brit will be part of Team Sky’s six-man squad for the 42.5km race.
Froome, winner of four Tours de France, won’t be the only ringer on the British squad in Bergen, Norway.
“The plan is to go for the win. It’s a very strong line-up and, fresh off the Vuelta win, the guys are going to be really motivated,” said Brett Lancaster, Sky’s sport director.
Olympic TT bronze medalist Froome will be joined by Vasil Kiryienka, the 2015 world time trial champion. Super-domestique and Milano-Sanremo winner Michal Kwiatkowski will also race the TTT for Sky. Kwiatkowski won world road championships in Ponferrada, Spain in 2014.
Owain Doull and Geraint Thomas, two of Froome’s countrymen, will also race Sunday in Bergen. Doull is an Olympic gold medalist in the team pursuit. Thomas won the opening time trial at the Tour de France this season.
Sky has only once won a medal at TTT worlds, in 2013. It was third in Florence, Italy that year behind Orica-GreenEdge and winner Omega Pharma-Quick-Step. Omega Pharma — now known as Quick-Step Floors — is the reigning team time trial champion. The Belgian team has won three titles since the UCI reintroduced the TTT in 2012. BMC Racing won in 2014 and 2015.
In addition to the team time trial, Froome will race the individual time trial Thursday, September 21. The course may be to his liking as it finishes with a 3.4km climb up Mount Floyen, averaging 9.1 percent gradient. Sunday’s TTT route does not include that finish climb but it does have a 1.4km ascent of Birkelundsbakken, averaging 7.2 percent.
Team Sky TTT worlds roster
Owain Doull (GB)
Chris Froome (GB)
Vasil Kiryienka (Blr)
Michal Kwiatkowski (P)
Gianni Moscon (I)
Geraint Thomas (GB)
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