BMC Racing, powered by Australian Rohan Dennis and featuring US injury-comeback hero Taylor Phinney, defended their men’s team time trial crown Sunday at the World Road Cycling Championships.
Dennis, Phinney, Italians Daniel Oss and Michael Quinziato and Swiss riders Silvan Dillier and Stefan Kueng repeated by finishing the 38.6km (24 miles) course in 42min 7.97secs.
Etixx Quick Step, featuring three-time individual world time trial champion Tony Martin and world race champion Michal Kwiatkowski, was second, the 2012 and 2013 champions finishing 11.35 seconds off the pace with Movistar third in 42:38.08.
With Dennis powering the way, BMC seized the lead by 3.75 seconds after 10km and stretched the margin to 12.39 seconds after going 20km in 18:58.59.
Etixx Quick Step trimmed to deficit to BMC to 5.80 seconds after 30 km but BMC pulled away at the finish, a final climb leaving only Phinney, Oss, Dillier and Dennis to cross the line to produce the winning time.
“Rohan Dennis really pulled us today,” Phinney said. “He was the anchor of the team, not in the sense he was holding us back but that he was pulling us forward.
“This was a huge goal for us.”
Phinney, back from a career-threatening 2014 crash, began his fightback last month at the Tour of Utah and followed by winning the first stage of the USA Pro Challenge, then proved himself in training with BMC to earn Sunday’s start.
“It’s kind of hard to process,” Phinney said. “It has ben a roller coaster the past couple of years.
“To win it this year is fantastic. It was hard out there. But we did it. I’m a little bit at a loss for words.”
The 25-year-old son of 1984 Olympic road race champion Connie Carpenter and former pro cyclist Davis Phinney was hurt 16 months ago in a crash during a descent at the US road race championship, suffering a major left knee injury, a compound left tibia fracture and a severed tendon.
“I feel fortunate I could make this team,” Phinney said. “It’s surreal. It has been great. Just honored to be part of this experience.”
Australian-based ORICA Green Edge, second the past two years, missed the podium for the first time, fading late to finish fourth in 43:01.70.
Aussie Michael Rogers and Dane Michael Valgren crashed to deliver Tinkoff-Saxo a doom blow. They finished last in the field of 27.