Amber Neben (centre)of the US, silver medallist Ellen van Dijk (left) of the Netherlands and bronze medallist Katrin Garfoot of Australia pose on the podium at the end of the women’s elite individual time trial event as part of the 2016 UCI Road World Cha
DOHA: Veteran rider Amber Neben yesterday proved it to cycling fans that age is just a number. The 41-year-old stunned a strong field to win the women’s time trial on day three of the UCI World Road Championships.
After watching her side finish fourth in the women’s team trial time on day one, Neben yesterday edged Dutch rider Ellen Van Dijk to the gold medal. Australia’s Katrin Garfoot finished with a bronze medal.
Neben clocked a time of 36.37.04 for her gold. It was the second gold medal for Neben who clinched her maiden top spot finish in Varese, Italy, 2008.
“This one is more special, because of everything that happened in between,” Neben said.
Van Dijk was 05.99 seconds behind Neben while Garfoot was 08.32 seconds slower than the American star.
“I had a lot of nerve wracking moments on the hot seat. It was a long time to spend there. I went all out from the start. In the end, it all came down to God’s grace,” Neben said yesterday.
At age 41 Neben has become the second oldest Women Elite ITT World Champion after Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli, who claimed the title aged 42 in 2001. “Traditionally, I am a pretty steady rider, I’m not real fast in the beginning so I try to just sustain it and be steady. The difference I think was the mental perseverance, to have that extra power to finish strong,” she said.
“I was using more energy siting there in the hot seat than out there on the bike. I feel sorry for Ellen van Dijk and at the same time I’m excited for myself,” added Neben.
Van Dijk, the current European champion and the 2013 world champion, said: “I am satisfied, because I left it all out there on the course. Silver is silver and Amber was simply better. Yeah, I won’t say I happy with it, but satisfied, I have to be satisfied.”
She added: “In Rio I was close to the gold, but I screwed it up myself, but this time, I would have loved to take the rainbow stripes, but I didn’t. It’s a Time Trial, I love the Time Trial because it’s such an honest discipline, the best girl wins and today that was Amber.”
Garfoot, who finished third, said she was keen to set the right pace.
“I had followed the under-23 race and had seen that a lot of riders had struggled in the last 6 km. I wanted to avoid that. So my pacing in the first round was totally off. But I made up a lot of time and was good enough for a bronze. I’m happy,” Garfoot said.
