Who will be the time trial world champion?: Lichtenberg names her favourites
Andreas Kublik
· 16.09.2022
*** Grace Brown (30 years old, Australia)
Fifth at the 2020 World Championships, fourth at the 2021 Olympics
Like Kristen Faulkner, Grace Brown is also a rather controlled character in my eyes. I think it's remarkable how she can maintain the same pace. I wouldn't have been able to do that when I was active. In the road races, she rides aggressively - but even there, she rides a kind of individual time trial once she has opened up a gap with an attack. She can then maintain a high pace right to the finish.
*** Kristen Faulkner
(29 years, USA), stage winner individual time trial Tour de Suisse 2022
The US-American is a late starter: she used to be a rower and only became a professional cyclist in 2020. This year, she has ridden strongly all season, brings her power to the pedals well and is therefore one of my favourites for the World Cycling Championships. She's one of those controlled characters - that helps her to find and maintain a steady pace in the time trial.
**** Annemiek van Vleuten (39 years old, Netherlands)
Olympic champion 2021, world champion 2017 and 2018, world championship bronze medallist 2019 and 2021
I give the Olympic champion one star less because she has completed the season with the three big national tours (she has Giro, Tour and Vuelta 2022; editor's note). I think she's more in shape for the mountains and hasn't prepared purely for the individual time trial at the World Cycling Championships like my two top favourites. You'll notice that!
***** Ellen van Dijk (35 years old, Netherlands)
World Champion 2013 and 2021, World Championship runner-up 2016, World Championship bronze medallist 2018 and 2020, European Champion 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2021
For me, the Dutchwoman is the top favourite in every individual time trial. Like Marlen Reusser, she has also specialised in the fight against the clock. She has many years of expertise in battling against the clock and is certainly no longer nervous before a World Cycling Championship race.
In contrast to Marlen Reusser, she rides a more classic position on the time trial bike. She has her hands down to get a lot of power on the pedals via the body sling.
***** Marlen Reusser (30 years old, Switzerland)
Olympic silver medallist 2021, World Championship silver medallist 2020 and 2021, European champion 2022
I asked my husband the other day because I couldn't remember his name: What is the name of the female Stefan Küng? Marlen Reusser! She has specialised completely in the individual time trial and prepared specifically for the World Cycling Championships.
In the winner's interview at the European Championships in Munich, she emphasised how well the Swiss federation had supported her in terms of equipment and riding position. She rides in a modern position where you keep your hands high, almost in your field of vision, and aerodynamically direct the airflow around your head.
Andreas Kublik
Editor
