UCI World Championships - Quick-Step Floors dominate to claim men's TTT title in Innsbruck

Updated 23/09/2018 at 18:47 GMT

Quick-Step Floors produced a stunning ride to clinch the team time trial at the UCI World Championships in Innsbruck ahead of reigning champions Sunweb.

Podium / Kasper Asgreen of Denmark / Laurens De Plus of Belgium / Bob Jungels of Luxembourg / Yves Lampaert of Belgium / Maximilian Schachmann of Germany / Niki Terpstra of The Netherlands / Tom Steels of Belgium Sport Director / Team Quick-Step Floors of

Image credit: Getty Images

The Quick-Step team - comprised of Kasper Asgreen, Laurens De Plus, Bob Jungels, Yves Lampaert, Maximilian Schachmann and Niki Terpstra - stopped the clock at 1:07:25 after the 62.8km route.

Defending champions Team Sunweb finished some 19 seconds in arrears on Quick-Step to take second; while BMC, winners in 2015, completed the podium a further second down.

The win was the team's 69th of a remarkable season, and marks the fourth time in the team's history that they have won the team time trial at the World Championships - their previous wins coming in 2012, 2013 and 2016.

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Niki Terpstra of The Netherlands and Team Quick-Step Floors / Gold Medal Celebration / during the UCI Team Time Trial Men a 62,8km race from Otztal to Innsbruck at the 91st UCI Road World Championships 2018 / TTT / RWC / on September 23, 2018 in Innsbruck

Image credit: Getty Images

Niki Terpstra, who has been at Quick-Step since 2011, has been a member of all four triumphant teams, but moves on to Direct Energie in 2019.

'This is a scary speed!' - Quick - Step notch 111kmph on TTT descent

“There were a lot of fast and flats parts and a hard climb in the middle too,” Terpstra said after the race.

“We had to consolidate our forces and go from A to B in one speed. You can never do a team time trial perfectly but this was pretty close.”

Team Sky finished fourth, with Mitchelton-Scott in fifth.

Mitchelton-Scott posted the quickest time at the first checkpoint some 22.8km in – 0:22:15 – with Team Sunweb setting the pace at the second checkpoint - 00:50:00 – but Quick-Step dominated the third sector to obliterate the field.

‘This is spectacular’ – Quick-Step Floors post lightning time

BRADLEY WIGGINS CALLS IT RIGHT

Sir Bradley Wiggins tipped Quick-Step and Team Sky to feature prominently during The Bradley Wiggins Show.

“Depends what sort of squad Sky can field at this stage. They have the likes of Ian Stannard, they have such strength in depth. They can’t rely on their big powerhouses like G and Froome but they still the likes of Vasil Kiryienka and the young kids.

“I think Quick-Step and Team Sky for me. Those two have the best squads. Quick-Step and Sky just seem to get it right every week.

“Sky aside, they are probably they are probably the most successful team this year. You can just never discard them.”

2018 UCI Road World Championships TTT result

1	Quick-Step Floors	1h 07' 25''
2	Team Sunweb	1h 07' 44''	+19
3	BMC Racing Team	1h 07' 45''	+20
4	Team Sky	1h 08' 10''	+45
5	Mitchelton-Scott	1h 08' 22''	+57
6	MOVISTAR	1h 08' 57''	+01:32
7	Trek-Segafredo	1h 09' 29''	+02:04
8	BORA - HANSGROHE	1h 09' 33''	+02:08
9	CCC - Sprandi - Polkowice	1h 10' 03''	+02:38
10	ASTANA PRO	1h 10' 19''	+02:54

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