World Road Cycling Championships - Men's time trial

The World Championship Time Tirals of the past few years have been a pretty cut and dry affair, but a hilly course that can suit pucnhuers and flat specialists equally. An undulating course in the Netherlands with three categorised climbs, including the final ascent of the Cauberg - which is used in the annual Amstel Gold spring classic and was also used in the men's team time trial last weekend. The absence of four time World Champion Fabian Cancellara and the unbeaten (in ITT’s this year over 10KM) Bradley Wiggins has left the medal race wide open. In theory this should be at the mercy of reigning Champion Tony Martin, who hasn’t had the greatest year in the rainbow jersey.  A dreadful Tour De France – where he broke his wrist, and had punctures on two of the three ITT’s during the race – had been bettered by an Olympic second, but that was on a super flat course and today’s affair is going to be far more testing.

The best recent guide – at the very least in terms of the course – has to be the ITT in the Vuelta, where Martin struggled badly and was down in 12^th, over 1.20 behind Federik Kesiakoff and Alberto Contador (right). To be fair to him, this course is less testing than that of the Vuelta, but it’s no cakewalk and he’ll need to be at his best if he’s to retain hits title – it’s certainly not the 8/13 shot many bookmakers have made it. Admittedly he handled it just fine in the Team Time Trial, but there’s still an element of doubt about his price.

In a race where many of the contenders for the medal would want a much flatter course or haven’t been in the greatest of form, Contador looks far too big at 9/2 with Ladbrokes. Second in the hilly Vuelta TT, he should be feeling great after sealing yet another Grand Tour Triumph, and he’s shown the form in the past needed to take elite Time Trials – he one beat even Fabian Cancellara in the Tour De France around Lake Annecy, so at 9/2 compared to long odds on for Martin he’s the obvious value choice. Kesiakoff himself is tempting too at 7’s, although Contador may claim more time on Martin in the flatter sections.

Advice

1 pt Alberto Contador (9/2 Ladbrokes)