TOUR was there: Time trial in the team car at the European Championships
Thomas Goldmann
· 03.09.2022
"Hop! Hop! Hopp!" echoes repeatedly from the loudspeaker mounted on the support vehicle. The number 12 can't complain about a lack of support on this day. We are talking about Jacob Ahlsson, who is competing for the Swedish national team in the time trial at the European Championships.
Time trials with different requirements
On this day, TOUR has the opportunity to accompany the 24-year-old on his ride around Fürstenfeldbruck in the team car.
Compared to the top teams such as the Swiss or the Italians, the Swedish team has travelled with hulking equipment. There is not even a time trial bike mounted on the roof of the white and blue Skoda in case of a defect, just a Bianchi road bike. "If Jacob were racing for a medal, it would certainly be different. But in such a short time trial, a defect is the end of the race anyway. If necessary, we still have spare wheels on the back seat," explains Lucas Persson, one of the two Swedish national coaches.
"The Italians have ten wheels on the roof, but that's there to displace air. We do without it. It's not worth the effort for us."
Uphill start for Ahlsson
Persson, who is at the wheel, collects his trainer colleague Alexander Wetterhall shortly before the start in the courtyard of the Cistercian monastery in Fürstenfeldbruck. In front of us we see the start of the Estonian Tanel Kangert before Ahlsson takes up the race. It's straight uphill. The first kilometre of the European Championships time trial involves 55 metres of climbing.
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You can already feel the enthusiasm along the route. Fürstenfeldbruck is in cycling fever! Crowds of spectators line the short climb at the side of the road. After around three kilometres, Ahlsson has reached the highest point of the route at 588 metres. A descent to Schöngeising follows after the village of Holzhausen.
Almost 80 km/h in the time trial
It is one of the few sections of the course in which the Swede is not travelling in the trailer of his Argon 18 time trial machine. The journey in the support car seems leisurely, but Ahlsson is fast on the descent, almost 80 km/h! However, he does not take the final risk in the bends.
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On the following stretch to Landsberied, the road climbs gently from kilometre 7 to 11. And Wetterhall's voice is also ascending, constantly shouting into his megaphone: "Yes, yes, yes, chop, chop, chop!". You don't need to know Swedish to understand this message. While Wetterhall is focussed on cheering on Ahlsson, Persson's eyes are only on the road during the time trial.
On the few sharp bends, it's time to hold on tight in the support van. After all, the two national coaches don't want to lose touch with their protégé, who takes many a bend at 40 km/h or more.
National coaches cover mammoth distances by car
The car also has to withstand a lot during the time trial and the journey. They travelled from Sweden to Munich by car, which they also use as a support vehicle. However, this is a short distance in comparison. As Persson reports, they only travelled to the U23 European Championships in Portugal in July, more than 3000 kilometres in the car for one trip to the race.
They can't complain about a lack of support on the route around Fürstenfeldbruck. In many places it's like a funfair, a ride through a sea of German flags.
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Between kilometres 15 and 16 we reach the only split time measurement, shortly after which trouble looms: a red and white express rolls closer and closer to us as we look through the rear window from the back seat. It's Stefan Bissegger, who has started the time trial one and a half minutes after Ahlsson.
Collection by Bissegger
The Swiss, who is crowned European champion on this day by less than a second ahead of Stefan Küng, approaches the Swedish team car metre by metre. But Ahlsson is tough. The Swede resists being caught. It takes until around one kilometre before the finish before Bissegger finally flies past.
At the finish line, the newly crowned European champion told TOUR that he would have found it easier to catch up with Ahlsson. "I had a bit of trouble at the start. I didn't really get any closer. I saw him quite early on. But somehow he always stayed ahead. Of course, it was still good to catch up with him. There was a certain morale boost when I flew past him. That was quite good for the head."
Last cheer for Ahlsson
And Ahlsson? A final cheer echoes from Wetterhall's microphone, then he too reaches the finish line. Four seconds behind Bissegger, the clock stops at 28:40 minutes, an average speed of 50.233 kilometres per hour. That puts him eleventh in the final classification, 1:34 behind. A very respectable result for the Swedish champion, who rides for the third-class team Motala AIF Serneke Allebike.
He leaves Jan Tratnik and Mattia Cattaneo - good time trialists at World Tour level - as well as the two German starters Miguel Heidemann and Max Walscheid behind him.
Wetterhall satisfied with time trial
"It's always tough to be overtaken in a time trial, but Bissegger had an amazing day," says Wetterhall, taking stock with satisfaction.
"I think Jacob did really well and rode a very good race from start to finish. He presented himself the way you should at a European Championship. It's only a few seconds to the top ten, which would have been even better, but eleventh place is also very good."
