CYCLING/World Road Race Championships: Double Irish road race champion David O'Loughlin will begin Ireland's World Championship campaign this afternoon when he lines out in the Elite men's time trial on the Caso de Campo course in Madrid.
The Mayoman will compete against some of the world's top professional riders in the tough 44.1-kilometre test and is hoping for a decent ride.
"David has been in very good form lately and has worked hard for this," said Grant Thornton Team Ireland manager Martin O'Loughlin yesterday.
"He has ridden the course several times and will be trying to go as well as possible. I think a top-20 or even a top-15 place is possible, if all goes well for him."
O'Loughlin is certainly in good, if not intimidating, company. He will be chasing 2000 Olympic TT champion Viacheslav Ekimov and be pursued by the Colombian Victor Hugo Pena, who rode well against the clock in this month's Tour of Spain and also wore the yellow jersey in the 2003 Tour de France.
After O'Loughlin, Siobhán Dervan will get the Irish road-race campaign underway when she takes part in the 126-kilometre Elite women's event, starting at 9am on Saturday.
Philip Deignan, arguably Ireland's best medal hope, leads a five-man squad that also includes Paídi O'Brien, Miceal Concannon, Ryan Connor and Andrew McQuaid in the 168-kilometre under-23 road race, starting at 1.30pm.
Former world junior champion Mark Scanlon, David McCann and David O'Loughlin then take part in the Elite men's road race on Sunday. This 13-lap, 273-kilometre contest begins at 10am and is expected to finish at approximately 4.55pm.
Yesterday Swiss Karin Thurig retained her time-trial title when she pipped home favourite Joane Somarriba to clinch gold.
Somarriba, who will retire at the end of the week, looked set for a perfect farewell when she posted the fastest time of 28 minutes 56.88 seconds for the 21.9-kilometre circuit on the outskirts of the city.
But Thurig, who had the advantage of riding last because of her status as defending champion, blasted round the first part of the highly technical course and was 1.59 seconds ahead of the Spaniard at the halfway mark.
The Swiss rider, who is also a keen triathlete and is aiming to compete in the Ironman event in Hawaii next year, then piled on the pressure in the final downhill stretches to finish over five seconds ahead of 2003 world champion Somarriba.
Kristin Armstrong of the United States finished a distant third, some 34 seconds behind Somarriba but 17 ahead of world road-race champion Judith Arndt of Germany, who was fourth.
"Every victory is special," said Thurig, who beat Arndt to take gold in the time trial in Bardolino in Italy in 2004 and won the bronze at the Athens Olympics.
"I was very happy with my ride because it was a totally different course from Bardolino. I like big roads where you can see everything and there wasn't much space on this course, especially on the downhills. So I wasn't sure I would do that well.
"It has not been an easy year because I did an Ironman event mid-season and you're almost dead for a few weeks after that so I'm lucky it worked out this way.
"I don't have a coach so I did it on my own and just tried to do my best."
The 33-year-old Somarriba, who has won three Tours de France and two Giros d'Italia in her career, said she was delighted with the silver.
"For me this is like winning gold," she said. "I didn't think I'd be on the podium today as the circuit doesn't suit my characteristics. There was a lot of gear changing and because of my weight I don't go that well on the downhill sections."
Meanwhile Russia's Mikhail Ignatiev continued his impressive progress through the junior ranks by winning the men's under-23 time trial.
Ignatiev, who won the world junior time trial events in 2002 and 2003, blasted his way round the 37.9-kilometre course in a time of 47 minutes 24.28 seconds.
Madrid Schedule
Today: Men's elite time trial (44 km) 11am-3.20pm.
Tomorrow: Rest day.
Saturday: Women's road race (126 km) 7am-10.30am; Men's Under-23 road race (168 km) 11.30am-4pm.
Sunday: Men's elite road race (273 km) 8am-3pm.
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