The German squad experiences a narrow 0.85-second defeat in their quest for gold.
Impressive finishing touch to the time trial championships: The German mixed squad secures the silver medal at the World Championships. They narrowly miss out on the gold by a mere 0.85 seconds. The men set the stage for victory with a powerful time trial.
Antonia Niedermaier covered her face nervously, Maximilian Schachmann held his breath in anticipation: In the end, the German mixed squad barely missed out on the gold medal at the World Championships in Zurich's Sechseläutenplatz by a mere 0.85 seconds. "We're really pleased with our performance, we gave it our all. There's nothing we can blame ourselves for," said Miguel Heidemann.
In the mixed team time trial, in the end, Australia emerged victorious, taking first place ahead of the surprising German squad, comprising Miguel Heidemann, Marco Brenner, and Maximilian Schachmann, as well as Antonia Niedermaier, Liane Lippert, and Franziska Koch. Italy finished third, eight seconds behind, after a distance of 53.7 kilometers.
Niedermaier shines once again
The men set the stage for success with a powerful time trial. After the first intermediate time, the trio posted the best time, but the favorites Italy and Australia pulled away on the flatter sections. The women started with a 21-second deficit against Australia and a 14-second deficit against Italy.
At the first intermediate time, Franziska Koch had already dropped behind, but the gap to first place was almost closed. It was largely due to Niedermaier, who had narrowly missed out on a medal in the individual time trial by just nine seconds, that the team moved up the ranks and contributed significantly to the medal.
Identical route as the road race
The team time trial served as a preview of the upcoming road races, which kick off on Thursday, as it took place on an identical course. While the juniors and U23 will decide their world champions on Thursday and Friday, the women will take on their 154.1-kilometer race on Saturday, with four laps of the Zurich circuit remaining.
The men's race on Sunday, starting in Winterthur, will conclude with seven challenging laps, featuring two consecutive climbs. Overcoming 4500 meters of altitude in 273.9 kilometers, the favorites are Tadej Pogacar from Slovenia, Remco Evenepoel from Belgium, and reigning champion Mathieu van der Poel from the Netherlands.
Despite their best efforts, the German mixed squad settles for the silver medal in the thrilling mixed team time trial, with Australia clinching the gold. The prestigious Sports event saw the German team, including Antonia Niedermaier, narrowly missing out on the gold by a tiny margin.
Antonia Niedermaier's exceptional performance in the time trial once again showcases her talent in the field of Sports, contributing significantly to the team's silver medal finish.
