OPQS riders Tony Martin, Pieter Serry, and Petr Vakoc will participate in the 47.1km UCI World TT Championship on Wednesday in Ponferrada, representing their respective countries.
Tony Martin is the three-time UCI World TT Champion, and also a multiple national TT Champion representing Germany. Pieter Serry will ride for Belgium, after riding along with Martin for OPQS in the UCI World TTT Championship on Sunday. Petr Vakoc, a young Czech rider who finished 2nd in the national TT championship this year, was a reserve for OPQS on Sunday and is looking forward to participating in his first pro world championship.
The 47.1km course includes part of the TTT parcours. There is also a hilly section at the end that will surely be a challenge. Alto de Montearenas, which is 1.1km in distance and 5.1% in average gradient, also includes a max ramp of eight percent. Then there is the Aldo de Compostilla, also 1.1km in length (6.6% average gradient, 10% max ramp). There are intermediate checkpoints at kilometers 12.2, 23.2, and 35.2, and the final climb descends with some technical sections heading into the finish line.
"It's a nice course," Tony Martin said. "It's hard, but I think it can suit my skills. The first 31 kilometers are completely flat, then you have a climb which is difficult, but where you can keep a good tempo. The most severe part of the course is the final climb with a percentage around 8 percent. In the middle of the climb there is also a short part to recover but at that point of the race, it will be only question to give all until the finish. I think it was important to have done the TTT because part of the ITT is on the same course. It will be exciting tomorrow. Honestly, I'm not thinking about the record. For sure I would be proud to get it, but I'm focusing only on doing my best on the bike tomorrow."
