We announce our roster for the Crescent Vårgårda team time trial (TTT) on Friday 11 August. Trixi Worrack will lead her charges, Hannah Barnes, Lisa Brennauer, Elena Cecchini, Mieke Kröger and Alexis Ryan in the 42.5km TTT.

The race in Vårgårda is one of the most important TTT’s in the lead up to the UCI World Championships in Bergen, Norway on 17 September. It’s also not often team’s have the opportunity to do a TTT under race conditions on the women’s calendar, and none that have the same length as Friday’s course. The last TTT race for the team was the opening stage of the Giro Rosa where it finished in fifth place over a 12km course.

Director Sportif Barry Austin said the team has progressed since the Giro Rosa and predicts a strong performance aiming for the win.

“I don’t start the team at any race thinking we can’t win it. So this is what we aim at. And if we get it wrong on the day, we learn, adapt and take aim at winning the next one. On Friday I would like to see the team get a feel for the maximal effort so to finish having given their all on the road,” said Austin.

The team has prepared for Friday’s twilight TTT with a week-long training camp in Germany. “For us it was important to spend time as a group on the Canyon Speedmax bikes and get to know each other under pressure situations.”

“Both the timing and terrain of Sweden will be great preparation for Bergen so to tighten the last few screws and forge the armour in the team time trial weapon,” added Austin.

Following the TTT, will be the Crescent Vårgårda UCI Women’s WorldTour road race on Sunday 13 August. In 2016 Hannah Barnes finished sixth in a nine-rider breakaway that sprinted for the win. The race is one of the most exciting and unpredictable on the women’s calendar. Past editions have fluctuated between successful breakaways, both large and small, as well as small bunch sprints.

Austin predicts Sunday’s race, one of the longest on the calendar at 152km, will be no different. “I think the race could finish in a smaller group, but still have some powerful sprinters in this group that would contest the win.”

The team’s roster remains the same for Sunday’s road race. The races will be televised live on CVWT YouTube channel here. As well followed on Twitter by @WMNcycling and using #UCIWWT. The first team starts the TTT at 17:30 CEST on Friday 11 August, and the road race starts at 09:35 CEST on Sunday 13 August.

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