Dave Zabriskie Wins 2011 USA National Time Trial Championship

News & Results

05/29/2011| 0 comments
by Thomas A. Valentinsen
Team Garmin-Cervélo's David Zabriskie on his way to victory. Photo Casey B Gibson.
Team Garmin-Cervélo's David Zabriskie on his way to victory. Photo Casey B Gibson.

Dave Zabriskie Wins 2011 USA National Time Trial Championship

Team Garmin-Cervelo's Dave Zabriskie regained the Stars-and-Stripes jersey following a convincing victory in the USA Cycling Professional National Time Trial Championships in Greenville, South Carolina earlier today. Zabriskie beat silver-medalist Tom Zirbel of Team Jamis-Sutter Home by just over 30 seconds to take his sixth national time trial champion title.

Team Garmin-Cervelo's Dave Zabriskie regained the Stars-and-Stripes jersey following a convincing victory in the USA Cycling Professional National Time Trial Championships in Greenville, South Carolina earlier today. Zabriskie beat silver-medalist Tom Zirbel of Team Jamis-Sutter Home by just over 30 seconds to take his sixth national time trial champion title.

"I came here for one reason, to win and take that jersey back and I accomplished that," a proud Zabriskie told Roadcycling.com and our mobile sister site Roadcycling.mobi after the finish and added "I really love this event and wearing the Stars and Stripes - I take a lot of pride in that."

David Zabriskie is a two-time world championship medalist in the individual time trial discipline.

Zabriskie completed the 30.7-mile rolling course in a time of 00:40:23:47, just off the course record of 00:39:37:14, which he himself set back in 2009. Zirbel, the 2009 silver medalist, posted a time of 00:40:54:79 to earn his second national championship medal in this event.

"It's definitely an emotional day for me. Before the race I was pretty focused but I didn't really know what to expect because I didn't have a time trial (due to mechanical difficulties) in California (2011 Amgen Tour of California). Now that I have a chance to reflect I'm getting a bit chocked up," a moved Zirbel told Roadcycling.com.

Moving up from fifth last year, Matthew Busche of Team RadioShack rounded out the podium, edging Team BMC Racing's Brent Bookwalter by approximately a tenth of a second for the bronze with a time of 00:41:22:06.

"Coming in, I really had no expectations. I was honestly focused on the road race." Busche told journalists after being celebrated on the podium and continued "Coming out of California I knew I had pretty good form, but I knew Dave (Zabriskie) was riding like lightning and guys like Brent (Bookwalter) and Tejay (Van Garderen) are tough."

Coming off a win in the Solvang-located individual time trial of the 2011 Amgen Tour of California, Zabriskie looked to be in strong form posting a course record opening lap time of 00:13:10, putting him comfortably in the lead with only defending champion Taylor Phinney (Team BMC Racing) remaining. Also coming off the tough Amgen Tour of California the young Phinney couldn't match those times posting only the sixth best opening lap at 00:13:45.

"Last year, when I found out I was going to miss (this event), I took that kinda personally," Zabriskie stated during the post-race press conference. "When I saw Taylor (Phinney) in the jersey, I was kinda, grrr, but he represented it well. It feels good to have it back."

Following Bookwalter's podium near-miss, reigning USA Cycling Professional National Road Race Champion Ben King of Team RadioShack finished fifth with a time of 00:41:42. Former time trial junior world champion Danny Pate (Team HTC-Highroad) turned in the sixth best time at 00:42:00, just ahead of Phinney in seventh (00:42:13).

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