Friday 24 June 2016 - 21:36

Bob Jungels defends ITT national title

Bob Jungels defends ITT national title

The Luxembourger took his third career victory in the race against the clock, following the ones of 2013 and 2015.

Bob Jungels' first half of the season can be easily described as the best he has enjoyed since turning pro. One of Etixx – Quick-Step's new recruits for 2016, Bob opened his account early, with a stage victory in the Tour of Oman, before going to finish third in Tirreno-Adriatico, with the white jersey in the bag. But the most impressive feat came more than two months later, at the Giro d'Italia, which he raced for the first time in his career. There, besides working for the team, Bob spent a three-day spell in the maglia rosa and climbed his way to a 6th place in the general classification, while also winning the young rider standings in the process.

Following these exploits, the Luxembourger took a well-deserved three-week rest, returning to racing on Friday, at the National Championships, for the individual time trial race held in Berbourg, a small town located in the eastern part of the country. Bob, a two-time winner of the event and the last rider to roll down the ramp, covered the 15-km long course in 17 minutes and 44 seconds, half a minute faster than the second placed rider, Jean-Pierre Drucker (BMC).

"I'm really happy about my race and this title. Wearing this jersey is always great and I can't wait to show it off as soon as possible in a race. It was a hard course with a few small climbs and false flat sections where it was important to speed up. Actually, I'm quite surprised with the rhythm I managed to keep after a few weeks without competing and this means I've recovered well from the Giro d'Italia", a smiling Bob explained after arrival. "So far, this season has been really special for me and I hope to be able to keep this momentum going for as long as possible. On Sunday I will also ride in the road race at the Nationals. The course is harder than today and as always the race will be super fast, but I will try to do my best."

 

Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele





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