RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – BMC Racing defended its team time trial gold medal at the world championships, driven home by American rider Taylor Phinney to knock Etixx-QuickStep from the top of the podium.
In the first worlds in the U.S. since 1986, the U.S.-based BMC team roared down Broad Street in downtown Richmond to a soaring welcome Sunday from the home crowd. They covered the 24-mile ride in 42 minutes, 7 seconds, beating their Belgian rivals by 12 seconds.
The Spanish team Movistar finished in 42:38 to capture the bronze medal.
In the women’s race, Velocio-SRAM won its fourth consecutive championship earlier the day. It rallied over the final miles to upstage Dutch rival Boels-Dolmans and its American rider, Evelyn Stevens, by just 6 seconds. The Rabo-Liv team finished third.