Jack Bauer happy with Top 20 performance

Bauer in action today ©Graham Watson

Sep 22nd, 11.NZ's Jesse Sergent and Jack Bauer delivered Top 20 performances in today's elite men's time trial at the UCI Road World Championships - they rode the same time.

Sergent, who has enjoyed TT success this year for his Radioshack team, was 18th fastest in 58m10.16sec and Bauer, who rides for Endura Racing, was one spot behind after his 58m10.84s ride.

They averaged 48kph for the 46.4km event which was won by Germany's Tony Martin in a stunning time of 53m43.85s -  over a minute clear of Great Britain's Bradley Wiggins and four-time TT World Champion Fabian Cancellara (Switzerland).

The technical nature of the course and strong winds made for a stern test and Bauer was pleased with his performance.

He rode the World Championships last year as a last minute replacement for a sick Jeremy Vennell. It was only the second TT he had ever ridden and he turned many heads with his 23rd place.

"Yes I'm satisfied," he said of today's 19th placing. "It was a pretty long and windy course, so yes I am happy with a Top 20 here, most definitely." 

"It was a good line-up as it always is at a World Championships but I guess it is always that much deeper in quality in a European-based World Championships.

"It stayed dry all day. This course there's a lot of corners, it's quite technical and a lot of wind, so for it to stay dry and for the road to be grippy all day was fantastic."

Bauer said his success on the roads this year had come in shorter events which forced a re-evaluation of his goals for today.

"At the beginning of the year I might have said that a Top 10 was within me but I've had to rethink that because I've done no time trialling over this distance. My year has been all about prologues and short 10 or 15km time trials, where as when you start a time trial like today over nearly 50kms then it's something completely different.

"You have to conserve a lot more and ride in a different way. So to be honest I am happy with a Top 20."

The distance was something new for Sergent too. He has won three TT's this season but the longest distance of these was less than half today's length. He started today's race as one of outside favourites.

"Well overall I am happy with my ride, first TT over 46km....got a little excited at the start but a good experience!" he twittered post race. Sergent was one of the earliest starters and earned a stint in one of the hot seats with the 4th fastest time at that stage.

While Sergent's World Championships are finished, Bauer is now turning his attention to the elite men's road race on Monday (NZ time) where he will ride in support of Kiwi sprinters Julian Dean and Greg Henderson.

"I feel good. I don't feel tired. I am recovering quickly. I've got the legs and I am in good shape to be able to support Hendy and Julian on Sunday," Bauer said.

Today's result means all seven Kiwi time trial riders finished in the Top 20! The top performances were James Oram's silver medal in the junior men and Linda Villumen's silver in the women's elite.

Tomorrow is a rest day at the World Championships before the road racing begins.  The first event is on Saturday (NZ time) with the junior women and under-23 men.

Auckland's Georgia Williams and Alexandra's Sophie Williamson will compete in the junior women's race over 70kms, then the strong Kiwi team  will contest the men's under-23 race over 168kms. The team features RadioShack stagiare George Bennett (Nelson), Tom David (Auckland) and James Williamson, brother of Sophie. 

The junior men and elite women compete on Sunday (NZ time) and elite men on Monday.

UCI World Road Championships

• Road race results from the UCI Road World Championships
• New World Road Champion Mark Cavendish
• Kiwis Worlds foiled by crash
• Jack Bauer ready for Worlds challenge
• Linda Villumsen races to plan
• Crashes hold junior Kiwis back
• Disappointment for U23 Kiwi men
• Junior Kiwis in the action, not just the good action
• Start lists for the road race events
• Kiwi family has two riders to cheer at the Worlds
• All time trial results
• Tony Martin delivers a World Champion performance
• Big images of the Kiwis in action
• Jack Bauer happy with Top 20 performance
• UCI name Jesse Sergent as one of the favourites
• Silver success for Linda Villumsen
• Stunning silver medal for James Oram
• Junior Kiwis benefit from World Champs merger
• Two Kiwis 6th best TT times in the World
• Aussies steal all the action on Day 1 
• Women's elite TT start list
• NZ team and race schedule