Garmin’s trio, Bissell’s duo are favorites for Greenville TT

Zirbel at the Tour of Utah

Photo: Courtesy

Garmin’s David Zabriskie and Christian Vande Velde are among the favorites for Saturday’s USPRO Time Trial Championships in Greenville, South Carolina.

Zabriskie have each shown they can time trial with the world’s best, whether it’s Zabriskie’s second at the 2006 world time trial championships or Vande Velde’s breakthrough 2008 Tour de France, where he was fourth in the final time trial on his way to a fifth place overall finish.

After injuring his back at the Giro d’Italia in May, Zabriskiereturned to top level competition at the Olympics, where he was 12th in the time trial, 3:06 behind winner Fabian Cancellara. Zabriskie is the two-time defending time trial champion at Greenville.

Garmin’s Danny Pate, a former U23 world TT champ, also is a favorite at Greenville. Pate finished one second behind Zabriskie at Greenville last year.

But Garmin squad will be challenged on the 20.7-mile Greenville course by a cadre of U.S.-based pros. Among the favorites is Bissell’s Tom Zirbel, who has won several domestic time trials this year, winning at the Tour of the Gila in May and more recently at the Tour of Utah stage 5 time trial victory.

After taking the overall lead at the Gila thanks to his time trial, Zirbel’s summer race season got put on hold when he crashed on the final stage, breaking his collar bone.

“I feel really good right now and my time trialing is where it needs to be,” said Zirbel following his Utah victory. “My mid-season crash kept me off the bike long enough to feel the effects but this warm-up gave me the confidence I needed — just to know that I’ve returned to where I was earlier in the season — and I am looking forward to leaving it all out there on the course in Greenville.”

Bissell brings another top time trialist to Greenville. Ben Jacques-Maynes won the Mt. Hood Classic prologue and the Nature Valley Grand Prix time trial in the early season, before he broke a collar bone at the Cascade Classic.

USPRO TT start order:
Jacob Rytlewski, Rite-Aid P/b Shebell & Shebell at 11:00 a.m
Eric Bennett, Successful Living P/b Parkpre at 11.02:00
Justin Spinelli, Kelly Benefit Strategies/medifast at 11.04:00
Nick Frey, Time Pro Cycling at 11.06:00
Bradley Huff, Charles, Jelly Belly at 11.08:00
Philip Zajicek, Team Health Net P/b Maxxis at 11.10:00
Thomas Danielson, Garmin/chipotle P/b H3o at 11.12:00
Andy Baker, Time Pro Cycling at 11.14:00
John Murphy, Team Health Net P/b Maxxis at 11.16:00
Charles Eldridge, Team Type 1 at 11.18:00
Edward King, Bissell Pro Cycling Team at 11.20:00
Steven Cozza, Garmin/chipotle P/b H3o at 11.22:00
Corney Collier, Team Health Net P/b Maxxis at 11.24:00
Benjamin Kneller, Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team at 11.26:00
Thomas Peterson, Garmin/chipotle P/b H3o at 11.28:00
Scott Zwizanski, Bissell Pro Cycling Team at 11.30:00
Sergio Hernandez, Rock Racing at 11.32:00
Spencer Beamer, Dlp Racing at 11.34:00
Michael Stoop, Time Pro Cycling at 11.36:00
Roman Kilun, Team Health Net P/b Maxxis at 11.38:00
Garrett Peltonen, Bissell Pro Cycling Team at 11.40:00
Michael Norton, Calyon Pro Cycling Team at 11.42:00
Robert Sweeting, Toshiba/santo P/b Herbalife at 11.44:00
Jonathan Mumford, Kelly Benefit Strategies/medifast at 11.46:00
Matthew Crane, Team Health Net P/b Maxxis at 11.48:00
Graham Howard, Bissell Pro Cycling Team at 11.50:00
Thad Dulin, Dlp Racing at 11.52:00
Bernard Van Ulden, Jelly Belly at 11.54:00
Daniel Ramsey, Time Pro Cycling at 11.56:00
Micheal Grabinger, Successful Living P/b Parkpre at 11.58:00
Michael Creed, Rock Racing at 12.00:00
Christian Vande Velde, Garmin/chipotle P/b H3o at 12.02:00
Tom Zirbel, Bissell Pro Cycling Team at 12.04:00
Timothy Duggan, Garmin/chipotle P/b H3o at 12.06:00
Danny Pate, Garmin/chipotle P/b H3o at 12.08:00
David Zabriskie, Garmin/chipotle P/b H3o at 12.10:00