Tirreno-Adriatico 2016: BMC Racing win team time trial
Daniel Oss claims first blue jersey
World team time trial champions BMC Racing enjoyed more success in the discipline on stage one of Tirreno-Adriatico to put Daniel Oss in the first blue jersey.
The Italian led them home, with Tejay van Garderen in the ranks, after another fluid ride by the American to prove their class in the team time trial.
BMC Racing won the opening stage team time trial at Tirreno-Adriatico (pic: Sirotti)
Etixx-QuickStep were next across, two seconds in arrears, and FDJ also earned a top-three spot to boost Thibaut Pinot’s chances but it was BMC Racing, and Oss and van Garderen in particular, celebrating.
World team time trial bronze medal winners Movistar, with Alex Dowsett in their ranks, were the first team off the ramp in Lido di Camaiore but their time of 24.24 was beaten immediately by Tinkoff.
FDJ also rode well, with their time of 24.02 bettering the Russian team by two seconds and ensuring a good start to proceedings for Thibaut Pinot.
Of the other teams expected to do well, Orica-GreenEDGE – despite having both Luke Durbridge and Svein Tuft powering their effort, were off the pace but Etixx-QuickStep did live up to expectations.
The Belgian super team were powered by Tony Martin, and the German ace was in their group of six who became the first to break the 24-minute mark with a time of 23.57 – Gianluca Brambilla leading the way.
World champions BMC Racing were still together as a nine-man unit more than two-thirds into the course, however, looking typically fluid as Alessandro de Marchi swung off after a big shift.
World time trial champion Vasil Kiryienka led Team Sky onto the final straight, but – with Michal Kwiatkowski leading the way over the finishing line – they conceded 19 seconds to Tinkoff.
World time trial champion Vasil Kiryienka’s big shift saw Team Sky finished ninth on the stage (pic: Sirotti)
BMC Racing continued to look good, even with Damiano Caruso – by now their sixth man –clinging to the back wheel.
Daniel Oss led the way onto the finishing straight, and was first across the finish line – an average speed of 56.947km/h giving the team a winning time of 23.55.
Vincenzo Nibali’s Astana team were the last team out, with Oss already being asked to try the blue jersey on for size backstage.
Astana’s solid effort earned them sixth on the day, with a time of 24.10 – meaning 15 seconds between Nibali and Tejay van Garderen overall.
For now, though, it will be Oss in the blue jersey and van Garderen with the advantage as far as the GC is concerned.
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