With no golds so far, everyone from the boffs at UK Sport to the millions watching at home have been worried about Team GB’s Olympic performances but that should change with two ITT’s today, both of which bring outstanding medal chances. Bradley Wiggins has been pencilled in for gold in the men’s ITT, but the women’s gives a good chance to Emma Pooley to get a medal.
Pooley, one of the most accomplished British Time Trialists in the last 10 years, is currently second favourite to add to the gold that Helen Glover and Heather Stanning just won for Britain in the women’s pair at the time of writing, and she has an obvious chance. Runner up in Beijing 4 years ago, she’s since won the world time trial championship race in Melbourne and twice won the Britsh National Time trial championships in 2009 and 10.
She kept the high standard up last year, winning the prestigious Tour de l’Ardeche and finishing second in the Giro Donne, but the only negative came when she was only third in the World Championships, on Copenhagen’s flatter course last year. She has since highlighted the worry of a flatter course again, but this seems tougher than the flat city course in Copenhagen last year and there are a few drags, so a medal is certainly a strong shout – the bookies have it nailed on at 5/11 with Bwin the best you can get.
Judith Arndt beat Pooley by 24 seconds at Copenhagen (where the course was wet) and the undoubted favourite is sure to take the beating here, having claimed a fantastic treble of major women’s road races this year, winning the 1st, Tour of Flanders for Women, Emakumeen Bira (2.1W) and Thüringen-Rundfahrt (2.1W). The only questions over her seem to be that she’s has only won one time-trial in 2012 (the German national championships) but she’s made the podium several other time, is sure to have had her eyes on this, and if the best in the field by some way based on the Worlds, so makes the most appeal at around 2/1 having shown off her strength in the road race despite being unable to set up a sprint.
She has the recent form edge over Linda Villumsen on Grio D’Italia form although she has won two ITT’s this year in Spain and Italy and beaten Arndt twice over shorter distances. You can get evens on her to medal and that seems to be generous considering how she was ahead of Pooley in Copenhagen, even though she’s stated a more technical course would really suit. Krisitin Armstong is the defending champion who has since come in and out of retirement and should be thereabouts, having recovered from a crash in the road race, her second in major events so far this year.
Emma Johansson’s sixth on Sunday was promising but her performances of 10th, 6th, and 3rd in her last three time trials suggest she’s just a cut below her best. Clara Hughes, 5th at the last Worlds, is more interesting having posted solid efforts when runner up in the Donne and Runfhart, although both winners reoppose.
Marianne Vos got the gold she so deserved when landing the road race in a sprint, and she’s sure to try her hardest even with that behind her, although the ITT specialists look sure to reign supreme here. The same comments apply to Lizzie Armistead, who is sure to enjoy riding without pressure here as she’s already said.
Advice
2 pts Judith Arndt (2/1 Coral)
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