Rich haul of medals for UAE Team members in Time Trials
DUBAI: There was flurry of medals for UAE Team Emirates in the Individual Time Trial discipline this week as no fewer than 9 riders came away with medals from their country’s respective national championships.
It’s the largest ever medal haul for the team at time trial championships. UAE Team Emirates took four gold medals across the championships, as well as one silver and four bronze medals. The Team now proudly wears the national time trial champion jerseys of Belgium, Germany, Austria, and Portugal, bringing the number of victories for the year up to 47. The successful results highlight the time trialling strength of the team and is a testament to the hard work that UAE Team Emirates’ riders and staff have put in to take time trialling to the next level.
National Time Trial Results: Tim Wellens, Belgium, Gold Nils Polit, Germany, Gold Felix Grossschartner, Austria, Gold Antonio Morgado, Portugal, Gold Ivo Oliveira, Portugal, Silver Sjoerd Bax, Netherlands, Bronze Jan Christen, Switzerland, Bronze Filippo Baroncini, Italy, Bronze Mikkel Bjerg, Denmark, Bronze In Slovenia, further adding to the success of the team over the weekend, Domen Novak was crowned the new national champion of Slovenia in Trebnje, winning the men’s road race. At the end of the race, Novak overpowered his countrymen Gal Glivar (UAE Gen Z) and Matej Mohorič (Bahrain Victorious) to claim his second title.
Ater seven laps and 150.5 km on the 21.5 km long circuit, the Grmada climb made the biggest selection (1.7 km/10.6 percent) and is where Novak made the difference.
Novak: “We had one goal and that was to win. Glivar prepared the ground for me already when we went up the hill for the first time, which I reached the top of alone. But it would have been impossible to continue in the lead all day.
“That’s why I waited, and then we worked together. I didn’t feel the best, but then in the next three laps I felt beter and beter. I told Gal to dictate the rhythm on the uphill.
“We know that the national championship is a kind of raffle. The shirt of the national champion remains with UAE since Tadej’s title last year. This is the finishing touch and now I have some rest and preparation for the last part of the season.”
Elsewhere Rui Oliveira was 2nd in the Portuguese championships while Felix Grossschartner took 3rd at the Austrian road championships.
Meanwhile, UAE Team Emirates have officially unveiled the team heading into the Tour de France (29 June-21 July) which gets underway in the city of Florence, Italy for the Grand Depart.