Tirreno-Adriatico - Michael Hepburn: I don't deserve the jersey more than anyone else in the squad
Mar 14 2019 02:06 am CET
Mitchelton-Scott
Mitchelton-Scott has won the team time trial of the opening stage of Tirreno-Adriatico by going through the course seven seconds faster than Jumbo-Visma.
The Australian team completed the 21.5-kilometre course in 22 minutes and 25 seconds. Michael Hepburn was the first of the team to cross the finish line and took the overall lead at the end of the day. "Team trials are very technical these days and it's something our team enjoys doing, especially myself," he commented.
"Tirreno is one of my favourite races of the year, I always seem to be in good condition here, but to be completely honest, I don't deserve the jersey more than anyone else in the squad, that was just the order we were coming into the home straight."
Mitchelton-Scott was the last team to go down the ramp and despite being very close to Jumbo-Visma for most of the course, it crossed the finish line seven seconds ahead of the Dutch formation. "It was a good little advantage for us being last off, knowing the times and also with the weather, the road dried up a little bit," Durbridge explained.
"We've been here before and gone off early and the wind changes, but finally this year we had a bit of luck on our side. We were quietly confident in our team, we have a lot of big boys, a lot of powerful time trialists and today was one of our chances to get some time and we did that."
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