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The team time trial (TTT) in mixed relay is a road cycling competition that is now part of the annual World Championships. What does this new format, both male and female, involve? How does the event take place? Let’s dive into a comprehensive overview of the World Championship mixed relay team time trial!
A new event at the Road Cycling World Championships
The mixed relay team time trial made its debut in the program of the Road Cycling World Championships in 2019. It replaced the former branded TTT, organised between 2012 and 2018, which struggled to gain traction.
With this new competition, the International Cycling Union (UCI) kills two birds with one stone. It’s an opportunity for the organisation to bring national federations back into the spotlight while supporting the development of women’s cycling through an event focused on gender equality.
The very first race under this format was launched during the European Championships in August 2019 in Alkmaar, Netherlands. It was a way to test the event in real conditions before the World Championships. A month later, the start of the World Championship mixed relay team time trial echoed in the United Kingdom, in Yorkshire.
In 2020, the health crisis forced the competition to be removed from the UCI calendar. It made its return on September 22, 2021, for the World Championships held in Flanders (Belgium).
Depending on its evolution in the cycling landscape, this recent event could even be included in the program of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Stay tuned!
The composition of mixed TTT teams
Unlike previous editions where riders competed in branded teams, this time trial sees national and mixed teams facing off.
Each team must have 6 cyclists of the same nationality: 3 men and 3 women, all wearing identical kits. Yes, the same team must use the same equipment!
The competition format
As the name suggests, this cycling event is a time trial in relay format. And it’s the men's trio that kicks things off!
The gentlemen set off on a loop whose distance cannot exceed 25 km (as opposed to 50 km outside the World Championships). The ladies can take over as soon as the second man crosses the relay line. The final recorded time for the ranking is taken when the second-to-last female rider crosses the line.
The circuit and the number of kilometers covered by each member are identical for all teammates.
The UCI regulations of the event
As the international governing body, the UCI dictates and communicates the rules of road cycling, particularly those of the mixed relay team time trial events.
The regulations provide details on the competition when it takes place within the framework of the Road Cycling World Championships:
- Cyclists must be at least 19 years old to compete in the Elite category.
- Nations are allowed to enter 6 competitors of each gender, but only 3 men and 3 women will start.
- A false start of less than 3 seconds results in a 10-second penalty.
- A false start of more than 3 seconds leads to disqualification or exclusion from the competition.
- Competitors have 3 starting lanes installed in the relay zone, and 9 holders. The latter are prohibited from pushing the bikes at the moment of the relay signal.
- Teammates finishing the race will receive points for the UCI individual ranking, to be shared among them. This only applies to the top 25 teams.
Additionally, the famous rainbow jersey will be awarded to the winners!
The results
The Dutch claimed the first world title of the mixed relay team time trial at the 2019 World Championships in the UK. A time of 38 min 27 s earned them the victory on the 14 km circuit in the heart of Harrogate, against ten national teams. The favourites, including Lucinda Brand, Koen Bouwman, Jos van Emden, Riejanne Markus, Bauke Mollema, and Amy Pieters, are now World Champions.
The German riders took the silver medal with an additional 22 seconds on the clock, while the British climbed to the third step of the podium.
The French team finished in 5th position behind Italy, thanks to the performance of their riders: Bruno Armirail, Aude Biannic, Jérôme Cousin, Coralie Demay, Séverine Eraud, and Romain Seigle.
Now that you’re well-versed in this event, how about learning more about the greatest cycling competitions in the world?
