Taylor Phinney Wins 2011 Eneco Tour Prologue
Team BMC Racing's Taylor Phinney scored his first victory for his current team earlier this afternoon by winning the prologue of the 2011 Eneco Tour of Benelux. The reigning Under-23 world time trial champion was the only rider to cross the finish line after less than seven minutes on the narrow and technically challenging 5.7-kilometer course.
Team BMC Racing's Taylor Phinney scored his first victory for his current team earlier this afternoon by winning the prologue of the 2011 Eneco Tour of Benelux. The reigning Under-23 world time trial champion was the only rider to cross the finish line after less than seven minutes on the narrow and technically challenging 5.7-kilometer course.
Blazing through the final turns Phinney displaced eventual fourth-place finisher Alex Rasmussen of Team HTC-HighRoad, then waited in the hot seat while the final 18 riders took their turn.
Norwegian national time trial champion Edvald Boasson Hagen came the closest, stopping the clock seven seconds slower than Phinney's winning time of six minutes and 57 seconds.
Great Britain's David Millar of Team Garmin-Cervélo finished third, 8 seconds behind Phinney. World Time Trial Road Champion Bert Grabsch of Germany and Team HTC-HighRoad disappointingly finished the prologue in 19th position.
"I'm super, super happy. I was surprised at how good I felt in my warm-up. I knew it was going to be a good day," a happy and proud Phinney told Roadcycling.com and Roadcycling.mobi after the finish.
"This is a good race for me. Racing in Belgium and Holland is kind of my thing. It's what I love to do. There's another time trial in a couple days, so if I can try to hold onto the leader's jersey until then, I definitely will. We have great riders and great staff here, so I'm looking forward to the challenge."
Phinney enjoyed the benefits of a dry course after rain slickened the course for the early starters. "It was just a power course. I was able to go through it really fast," Phinney commented.
Third place finisher Millar wrote on Twitter "The kiddies go fast. (I'm) Happy with 3rd considering I would've found it hard to ride through a wet brown paper bag a week ago. Fun week ahead."
Team BMC Racing captain and Tour de France champion Cadel Evans was fast to react to Phinney's success. "I'm guessing our Taylor Phinney is very chuffed right now! Great stuff mate."
Former U.S. national time trial champion and owner of two elite world pursuit championships (2009, 2010), one junior world pursuit title (2008) and one junior world time trial championship (2007) Phinney came close to winning the prologue at the Tour de Romandie in April. There, he conceded the victory to Jonathan Castroviejo by .27 seconds.
"This was really a great victory because he really wanted to win this race," BMC Racing Team Assistant Director Fabio Baldato said when asked to comment on Phinney's victory and added "He told me yesterday he wanted to do reconnaissance and then he did more this morning. With him in the lead, the team is motivated to protect him and he's in good condition."