At last year’s world championship time trial in Hamilton, Ontario, Karen Thürig of Switzerland started off strong but faded on the final climb to finish one spot out of the medals. This year’s time trial course for the elite women, in and around Bardolino, Italy, suited the multisport competitor better, and Thürig wasn’t about to make the same mistake twice.

Thürig crushed her competitors with a dominant ride on the 24.05km course on Tuesday. At 6 feet tall and 145 pounds, the rolling power climbs, and especially the terrain on the second half of the Bardolino course, seemed custom designed for Thürig, an accomplished triathlete. Averaging 46.71 kph, she posted a time of 30:53.65, an astounding 52 seconds faster than second-place finisher Judith Arndt of Germany.

When asked if she was disappointed with second place, Arndt just shrugged. “Karin was 52 seconds faster, I don’t what else I could have done.”

Arndt’s silver gave Germany its third medal of the day, adding to the gold and bronze medals won by Patrick Gretsch and Stefan Schäfer in the junior men’s time trial. With that, Germany took home 50 percent of all the medals available on Tuesday.

Finishing third behind Thürig and Arndt in the women’s time trial was 2002 world time trial champion Zoulfia Zabirova of Russia, with a time of 31:50. It was the second straight bronze medal for Zabirova, who also finished third last year in Hamilton.

Thürig, the bronze medalist in the time trial at the Athens Olympics last month, started 90 seconds after American Dede Barry, who took silver at the Olympics. By the midway point of the race, Thürig knew she was having a good day when she spotted Barry just up the road.

“I already had 16 seconds advantage and I knew that the second half of the race was better for me,” said Thürig,

“It’s a good course for a power rider,” said American Christine Thorburn, who had the best time of the day when she finished with 11 riders still to come. “And it wasn’t easy on the second half. You had to pedal hard, there wasn’t any coasting.”

With a leading time of 32:37.57, Thorburn kept her spot in the hot seat as the next three riders failed to beat her, but Lithuanian Edita Pucinskiate eventually bumped the American out of the top spot. In the end, Thorburn finished seventh, 1:44 off Thürig’s winning time. Barry finished 14th.

Like last year, Thürig started out strong. Once she reached the high point on the course, near the town of Pastrengo at the halfway point, it was clear that, barring disaster, the rainbow stripes would be hers. After crossing the line and pulling on the world champion’s jersey, she said that while the Olympic medal was a major accomplishment, nothing compares to the feeling of winning it all.

“It’s hard to say which one is more valuable to me,” she said. “The Olympics were very exciting, but here I was the fastest — and that’s always nice.”

The men's time trial will be held Wednesday. Road races begin Friday around the nearby city of Verona.

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Results
1. Karen Thürig (Swi), 24.05km in 30:53 (46.708kph)
2. Judith Arndt (G) 51.
3. Zoulfia Zabirova (Rus), at 0:56
4. Joane Somarriba (Sp), at 1:15
5. Edita Pucinskaite (Lit), at 1:32
6. Mirjam Melchers (Nl), at 1:41
7. Christine Thorburn (USA), at 1:44
8. Priska Doppmann (Swi), at 1:54
9. Oenone Wood (Aus), at 2:07
10. Tatiana Guderzo (I), at 2:11
11. Anita Valen (N), at 2:16
12. Svetlana Bubnenkova (Rus), at 2:16
13. Trixi Worrack (G), at 2:16
14. Deirdre Demet-Barry (USA), at 2:17
15. Jeannie Longo (F), at 2:29.
16. Olivia Gollan (Aus), at 2:38.
17. Bogumila Matusiak (Pol), at 2:44.
18. Dori Ruano (Sp), at 2:49
19. Anna Zugno (I), at 3:02
20. Edwige Pitel (F), at 3:03FULLRESULTS