Five Australian's claimed medals on the opening day of the 2016 UCI Road World Championships in Qatar, as action started with the women's and men's team time trials.
After just missing out on the individual time trial podium at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Rohan Dennis claimed silver with BMC Racing Team, just 11 seconds short of claiming his third title in a row. Rio 2016 silver medallists Alex Edmondson, Michael Hepburn teamed up with fellow Aussies Luke Durbridge and Michael Matthews to help Australian team Orica-BikeExchange to the bronze medal 37 seconds off the winning time of Etixx-QuickStep.
It was an exciting battle in the men's race and one that went right down to the final metres with little separating Etixx-QuickStep and BMC Racing team over the flat 40 kilometre course.
After the first intermediate check point with 13.6 kilometres completed, Etixx-QuickStep held a narrow three second advantage on BMC. With the gap less than a second separating the two at the second and final check the race was set for a an exciting run to the line.
As the kilometres ticked down the gap between the two teams was never more than a handful of seconds but Etixx-QuickStep managed to come home slightly stronger to pip Dennis and BMC for the 2016 world title.
Shara Gillow, the lone Australian representative in the women's event finished in eighth place with her RaboLiv Women's Cycling Team.
Gillow and RaboLiv looked on track to challenge for the medals after the first two checkpoints, but a crash for Anouska Koster in the final third of the 40 kilometre time trial unfortunately ended the teams challenge for a medal, having claimed bronze in 2015.
Attention turns to the start of the individual time trials on Monday with Chloe Moran and Madeleine Fasnacht in action in the under 19 women's and Miles and Callum Scotson in the under 23 men's event.
Results
Men's Team Time Trial
Gold - Etixx-QuickStep
Silver - BMC Racing Team +11 (Rohan Dennis)
Bronze - Orica-BikeExchange +37 (Luke Durbridge, Alex Edmondson, Michael Hepburn and Michael Matthews)
Women's Team Time Trial
Gold - Boels Dolmans
Silver Canyon//SRAM +48
Bronze Cervelo Bigla +1:56
8th RaboLiv +6:03 (Shara Gillow)
Cycling Australia
