How the Race Finished
Trek-Segafredo took victory in the Postnord Vårgårda Team Time Trial, led by the time-trial world champion, Ellen van Dijk. Despite their fair share of bad luck, they managed an average speed of 47.5 km/h, and finished the course nearly forty seconds faster than their closest competitors. They were the only team to go under 45 minutes, at 44’56”. SD Worx came second, 38 seconds down, at 45’34”, and Team DSM rounded out the podium in third, 49 seconds down at 45’45”.
The Main Action
Team time trials aren’t a frequent occurrence, with the first stage of the Ceratizit Challenge the only other team time trial on the WWT calendar. The route was 35.6km, running from Vårgårda to Herrljunga and back again. The course was rolling, with a little wind blowing diagonally across the course.
Jumbo-Visma set a fast time early on. They were the fifth starters, after Parkhotel Valkenburg, Team Coop-Hitec Products, Roland Cogeas Edelweiss Squad, and Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team. Amber Kraak, Romy Kasper, Karlijn Swinkels, Anouska Koster, Linda Riedmann and Carlijn Achtereekte crossed the line in 46’11”, with a speed of 46.25 km/h.
Neither Valcar Travel & Service, nor Canyon//SRAM, could match their pace. However, Team DSM would soon knock them off the top spot. Francesa Barale, Pfeiffer Georgi, Floortje Mackaij, Esmee Peperkamp, Elise Uijen and Lorena Wiebes completed the course with an average speed of 46.7 km/h, finishing 26 seconds faster than Jumbo-Visma, and becoming the first team to break the 46 minute barrier. FDJ-Suez-Futuroscope then put in a good attempt, but still finished nearly a minute down on Team DSM. Movistar followed, and were perhaps unexpectedly unsuccessful – they ended up finishing over three minutes down on the eventual winners.
Trek-Segafredo were the penultimate starters. Their team was composed of Audrey Cordon-Ragot, Lauretta Hanson, Chloe Hosking, Shirin van Anrooij, Amalie Dideriksen, and, most significantly, Ellen van Dijk, the time-trial world champion and current holder of the hour record. Disaster struck: Hanson had a flat tire, and Hosking dropped, leaving the team with only four riders to take it to the line. Nevertheless, they smashed DSM’s time, coming in 49 seconds faster, and setting a pace of 47.5 km/h.
SD Worx set off last, with a line up of only five: Chantal van den Broek-Blaak, Christine Majerus, Elena Ceccini, Demi Vollering and Kata Blanka Vas. However, they would have to settle for second. They finished 38 seconds down on Trek-Segafredo – good enough to jump over DSM, but not enough to match the power of a team headed by Ellen van Dijk, and which has looked like one of the strongest and most cohesive teams all season.
