23 Sep 2018
Team Sky miss out on World TTT podium
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Team Sky recovered from an early setback to finish fourth in the last-ever World team time trial championship as Quick-Step Floors took gold in Innsbruck.
The team's bid to improve on 2017's bronze medal got off to a bad start as Ian Stannard suffered a crash in the opening kilometre on the first corner.
The team waited for the former British national champion who was then able to continue, and the Team Sky sextet rallied to go through the first check point in provisional fourth.
Mitchelton-Scott led the way at the early intermediate check point at 22km, with Team Sky 16 seconds behind and while Stannard was unable to assist by the second time check, the remaining five riders maintained fourth going into the final third of the 62.8km test.
Team Sunweb and Quick-Step Floors were vying for the lead going into the final sector and Team Sky came in provisional second - 44 seconds behind Quick-Step - until BMC Racing and Sunweb bettered their time to fill the remaining spots on the podium.
Sport Director Brett Lancaster rued Stannard's misfortune, but was impressed by how the British rider and team responded to the situation.
He told TeamSky.com: "We were on the first kilometre and it was an easy right hander, and his wheel just slid out, we don't know what or why it happened, but it took quite a while to remount and the team waited for him.
"That alone was a good 25 seconds and afterwards he sat on for a little bit to get his rhythm back whereas normally he'd be doing plenty of work, but his glute was really hurting so he couldn't put the usual power down."
The team waited for the former British national champion who was then able to continue, and the Team Sky sextet rallied to go through the first check point in provisional fourth.
Mitchelton-Scott led the way at the early intermediate check point at 22km, with Team Sky 16 seconds behind and while Stannard was unable to assist by the second time check, the remaining five riders maintained fourth going into the final third of the 62.8km test.
Team Sunweb and Quick-Step Floors were vying for the lead going into the final sector and Team Sky came in provisional second - 44 seconds behind Quick-Step - until BMC Racing and Sunweb bettered their time to fill the remaining spots on the podium.
Sport Director Brett Lancaster rued Stannard's misfortune, but was impressed by how the British rider and team responded to the situation.
He told TeamSky.com: "We were on the first kilometre and it was an easy right hander, and his wheel just slid out, we don't know what or why it happened, but it took quite a while to remount and the team waited for him.
"That alone was a good 25 seconds and afterwards he sat on for a little bit to get his rhythm back whereas normally he'd be doing plenty of work, but his glute was really hurting so he couldn't put the usual power down."
Brett Lancaster
They gave everything, but finished with a fourth - that's a really fantastic ride considering what happened."
He continued: "The boys had to go pretty deep, and they knew that so they were going really fast on the flat once they got going again [after the crash]. Ian contributed all he could, but he was in a fair bit of pain and he did a good ride.
"Without that we could have been well within the medals, but that's cycling. They gave everything, but finished with a fourth - that's a really fantastic ride considering what happened.
"I'd say to move on and give it everything next year, but this is the last one and unfortunately we didn't get to tick that box as a team."
"Without that we could have been well within the medals, but that's cycling. They gave everything, but finished with a fourth - that's a really fantastic ride considering what happened.
"I'd say to move on and give it everything next year, but this is the last one and unfortunately we didn't get to tick that box as a team."
