We rode a perfect race today to be crowned Team Time Trial World Champions in Innsbruck, Austria. Alena Amialiusik, Alice and Hannah Barnes, Elena Cecchini, Lisa Klein and Trixi Worrack crossed the line all together, with an average speed just under 53km/hour for the 54.9km course.

“I think no one was tipping that we could challenge for the win today,” said an elated Worrack after the finish. “But we knew, as we got closer and closer to today, with all of our preparations and training, we knew that we would be close. And today in the race, we had the perfect day.”

After storming through the first time check with the fastest time, Wiggle High5 faded in the last half of the race, while last year’s winner Boels Dolman were most threatening during the middle of the race. Still with six riders, our team maintained our composure to finish 22 seconds ahead of Boels Dolman at the finish, and 29 seconds ahead of Team Sunweb.

“It’s the best performance that I’ve seen for a long time. We have been busy preparing for this. I’m very satisfied. The riders rode simply great today. I’m also pleased we brought in Aerodynamicist Dan Bigham who I believe has also introduced a new way of thinking. We dedicate this title to all of our team’s partners, especially Canyon and SRAM. They have all been supporting us for the past three years and this victory goes to them,” said Team Manager, Ronny Lauke.

Read the reactions directly from the riders below:

Alena Amialiusik: “It’s an amazing feeling to be world champion with these girls. It was so fast today but we were always smooth so it didn’t even feel like we were going that fast! We were all surprised when we looked down at our bike computers after the race. It was incredible how smooth we were, as though we were riding like one rider, not six. I’m just really, really proud. And our coloured Zipp Super-9 discs!!! They were so cool and fast!!”

Trixi Worrack: “I think people didn’t expect us to win. But we knew if we had a good day, then we were definitely a chance to do really well. We had a perfect day today. In no other training day did we have a day like today. We were getting feedback on the split times in the radio, but I could also feel that we were riding well. In the group, it did not feel that fast because we were so smooth and you could recover so well at the back. When I looked down to my speed, it was always so high. It was a great ride from everyone.

At the podium, I was crying because I was happy we won but also because I was sad. It was my last race with CANYON//SRAM Racing. This win means a lot.”

Elena Cecchini: “It is something that I have been chasing for a long time. It’s like everything came back today. I always believed that it would come and we would be able to have this feeling. When you go through hard times you sometimes start to doubt it. But today was all up, up, up. Our preparation, our equipment, our ride. An amazing day. I can now go into the off season in peace!”

Alice Barnes: “It’s my first team time trial podium and it’s special to be on the top at world championships. I think it hasn’t sunk in yet. I’m very happy and it’s special to be on the podium together.

I felt really good and I’m happy that I could contribute today. I felt going in to the race that I was the weakest rider on our team, definitely technically and I have the least experience. But I felt that I could help the team and I’m really proud of my own effort and the other girls too.”

Lisa Klein: “It’s an amazing feeling. I still can’t believe it, it’s crazy. It’s so special to win it as a team. I felt that we had a great rhythm, with high speeds and we took care of each other during the race. I felt comfortable throughout and arriving to the finish line with six riders I think was key. When I came from my pull at the front, I had time to recover and be ready for the next one. In the end, of course you are suffering the whole time, but it made a difference having six of us there.”

Hannah Barnes: “We rode really smoothly. We wanted to do a perfect ride and if I think back now there’s nothing we can fault from our ride today. We did everything right. This feels so cool to win it. I was thinking during the race, that even if we didn’t win that we could be happy because we rode so well as a team.  But to win and then be able to celebrate all together on the podium, this is really special.”

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