The weather almost derailed the World Championships on Tuesday, as torrential rain flooded the course so badly that the elite women’s time trial was pushed back and considered for postponement.
Mikkel Bjerg was the last out of the start hut, and beat Ian Garrison’s (USA) time by 27 seconds. It was another American on the podium to take bronze, as Brandon McNulty missed out on Garrison’s time by just one second.
Out 10th last, European champion Johan Price-Pejtersen was one victim to the weather, with the Dane almost completely submerged in water when steering into a giant puddle.
“Today was really, really crazy,” Bjerg said afterwards. “The weather conditions were absolutely terrible, but I managed to pull it off.
“I was told 5 minutes before the start that there were some big puddles on the road and my coach tried to navigate me through the easiest line. He said, ‘Just hold onto your bars and pedal full gas.'”
“There was so much pressure, and I would say mostly from myself,” Bjerg said. “It would almost have been not good if I didn’t win, so I’m really happy to take a third title. To be honest, I feel really bad now, I’m really dizzy actually.”
.@mikkelbbjerg ?? WINS the 2019 UCI Road World Championship U23 Men’s Time Trial.
That’s 3 ??? in a row! #Yorkshire2019 pic.twitter.com/sdqMqbn4IH
— UCI (@UCI_cycling) September 24, 2019
Road World Championships 2019 – Men U23 time trial results:
| 1 | Mikkel Bjerg (Denmark) | 40:20 |
| 2 | Ian Garrison (United States of America) | +27” |
| 3 | Brandon Mcnulty (United States of America) | +28” |
| 4 | Mathias Norsgaard Jørgensen (Denmark) | +38” |
| 5 | Brent Van Moer (Belgium) | +44” |
| 6 | Morten Hulgaard (Denmark) | +56” |
| 7 | Nils Eekhoff (Netherlands) | +01’01” |
| 8 | Byron Munton (South Africa) | +01’27” |
| 9 | Markus Wildauer (Austria) | +01’39” |
| 10 | Daan Hoole (Netherlands) | +01’47” |
