Tony Martin (Etixx-QuickStep) claimed his sixth German time trial title in Struefdorf, clocking an average speed just shy of 50kph as he beat Jasha Sütterlin (Movistar) by more than a minute and a half on the rolling 41-kilometre course.
Nils Politt (Katusha) finished third, 2:23 down on Martin and the result was never in doubt from the moment the former world time trial champion rolled down the start ramp. Martin already had a convincing lead at the first time check and he hurtled around the course to claim a commanding victory.
It was Martin’s first win of 2016 after he had changed his usual programme to form part of Etixx-QuickStep’s cobbled classics squad during the sprint. With the Tour de France and Rio Olympic Games in mind, he acknowledged that the victory was a timely boost to his morale.
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“I’m happy about this win, because it’s never easy to do it when everybody is expecting it. The parcours wasn’t totally flat, had a few hills and some tricky corners, which you had to be careful not to overcook. Considering these and the hot temperatures, it wasn’t easy to find my rhythm, so that’s why I’m even more satisfied about this victory, which I see as a good test ahead the Tour de France and Olympic Games, Martin said. “Winning the sixth title and finally breaking the ice in 2016 was very important.”
Martin will line up in Sunday’s road race as the lone teammate of Marcel Kittel. “It will be difficult, because it’s going to be just the two of us, but I’m ready to give everything to support Marcel, so we’ll see what will happen,” he said.
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