Hello everyone, and welcome to our live coverage of the 2006 Road World Champs from Salzburg, Austria. The yearly event, not featuring the Junior riders this time, kicked off around midday local time, with the Elite Women challenging each other and the clock for the gold, silver and bronze medals. And with a great race whose details and results you can find here:

Elite Women's ITT Live Ticker

But it's now time for a brand new fight, those of the stars of tomorrow, the young guns of the U23 class, going for the three medals, better if it's the gold one they get. But in between those guys and the glory there's the following - even mre demanding than the Women's one - parcours of close to 40 kms.

Startlist
61 ZEITS Andrey KAZ19861214 14:00:00
60 VELITS Peter SVK19850221 14:01:30
59 HEGYVARI Adrian HUN19840105 14:03:00
58 URAN URAN Rigoberto COL19870126 14:04:30
57 TACIAK Mateusz POL19840619 14:06:00
56 TAARAMAE Rein EST19870424 14:07:30
55 SURUTKOVYCH Oleksan. UKR19840108 14:09:00
54 SCHAEFER Stefan GER19860106 14:10:30
53 SAMOILAU Branislau BLR19850525 14:12:00
52 SAMBRIS Ruslan MDA19850206 14:13:30
51 MARANGONI Alan ITA19840716 14:15:00
50 VEILLEUX David CAN19871126 14:16:30
49 GEORGES Sylvain FRA19840501 14:18:00
48 FILIPPOV Alexander RUS19840509 14:19:30
47 FERNANDEZ MORA Juan. ESP19840314 14:21:00
46 COZZA Steven USA19850303 14:22:30
45 BELMOKHTAR Abdelkad. ALG19870305 14:24:00
44 VELITS Martin SVK19850221 14:25:30
43 SOTO Jorge URU19860808 14:27:00
42 SMUKULIS Gatis LAT19870415 14:28:30
41 SABLIK Lukas CZE19870103 14:30:00
40 HUTCHINGS Logan Den. NZL19840128 14:31:30
39 PAGANI Federico ARG19821116 14:33:00
38 NAZARET Magno BRA19860117 14:34:30
37 KUSHLEV Stefan BUL19840730 14:36:00
36 KUPESHOV Berik KAZ19870130 14:37:30
35 KONOVALOVAS Ignatas LTU19851208 14:39:00
34 JOO Hyun Wook KOR19860417 14:40:30
33 JOEAAR Gert EST19870709 14:42:00
32 AOUN SEGHIR Mohamed. ALG19860216 14:43:30
31 HIGGERSON Shaun AUS19841227 14:45:00
30 CONNOR Ryan IRL19840406 14:46:30
29 GUERRERO MATA Abund. MEX19850801 14:48:00
28 FROOME Chris KEN19850520 14:49:30
27 FAIRALL Bradley CAN19850319 14:51:00
26 DUARTE AREVALO Fabi. COL19860611 14:52:30
25 DENIFL Stefan AUT19870920 14:54:00
24 HAISZER Akos HUN19851231 14:55:30
23 CHACON QUESADA Javi. ESP19850729 14:57:00
22 BOOKWALTER Brent USA19840216 14:58:30
21 BODNAR Maciej POL19850307 15:00:00
20 BARLA LUCA ITA19870929 15:01:30
19 PLIUSCHKIN Alexandr MDA19870113 15:03:00
18 BELKOV Maxim RUS19850109 15:04:30
17 MARTIN Tony GER19850423 15:06:00
16 KOREN Kristjan SLO19861125 15:07:30
15 FREI Thomas SUI19850119 15:09:00
14 BOASSON HAGEN Edvald NOR19870517 15:10:30
13 STANNARD Ian GBR19870525 15:12:00
12 JAMIESON Mark AUS19840504 15:13:30
11 CORNU Dominique BEL19851010 15:15:00
10 RASMUSSEN Alex DEN19840609 15:16:30
9 BOOM Lars NED19851230 15:18:00
8 KUNITSKI Andrei BLR19840702 15:19:30
7 MORTENSEN Martin DEN19841105 15:21:00
6 SPILAK Simon SLO19860623 15:22:30
5 COPPEL Jerome FRA19860806 15:24:00
4 LATHAM Peter NZL19840108 15:25:30
3 VAN EMDEN Jos NED19850218 15:27:00
2 GRABOVSKYY Dmytro UKR19850930 15:28:30
1 IGNATIEV Mikhail RUS19850507 15:30:30

1415 CEST - The action got started around 0200PM local time, once more under very sunny skies and in very pleasant weather conditions. First at the startline was Andrey Zeits the Kazakh, followed by Slovakia's Peter Velits and Adrian Hegyvari of Hungary. Zeits' "fellow former Soviets" Dmytro "The Big" Grabvoskyy (Ukraine) and Mikhail Ignatiev (Russia) are going to start last instead. And not by fluke, as the guys are the two main suspects to take the gold (and the rainbow jersey, bien sure) this afternoon. They had great perfomances one year ago, so why not picking them up as winners this year too?

The other Espoirs will surely be dancing in the aisles in the knowledge that Ignatiev and Grabovsky, both prolific winners on the U23 scene, still have another year of racing left in that age category... though Grabovsky, at least, is going to Quick Step for 2007.

1420 CEST - Two riders got to the first time check, with Velits unsurprisingly having (by far) the better time, while fourth starter Rigoberto Uran of Colombia (usually racing for Italy's continental team Tenax) is already about to catch poor Hegyvari.

1423 CEST - The first US rider competing , Steven Cozza, just took the start.  An Algerian rider at the startline now: it's Abdelkad Belmokhtar! After Belmokhtar, it's Martin Velits (Slovakia) - his twin brother Peter was out of the start-house about 25 minutes ago, and is incidentally Slovakian U23 TT champion.

 Rigoberto Uran the Colombian set the first time at the km. 10 check, with Estonia's Rein Taarmae currently in second place. But here comes the mighty Branislau Samoilau. And cannot do better than Uran. the Belarusian clocks 14'50"92, close to two seconds worse than the South-American did.

Stefan Schäfer of Germany has the third time so far at the opening check. Looking down the startlist, which rider is off 13th? It's a number lucky for some... hopefully it'll do well for Ian Stannard of Great Britain. Though a top 20 finish would be great for Stannard, who is in his first year as an Espoir.

 Italy's Marangoni made it to the time check. But didn't get higher than fifth, only a few seconds better than Poland's Maciak. Races against the clock usually do not suit Italian riders, you know ... True, likewise for France - they will be focusing on the road-race, anyway.

An All-Black rider is next out of the start-house. It's Logan Hutchings of New Zealand. Argentina's Federico Pagani comes next on the parcours.

1433 CEST - The first Russian comes to the time check: Alexander Filippov sets the BEST time thus far: 14'43"16, that is 05"83 better than Uran's.

Unlike the Italians, Russians have a tradition of great ITT performances indeed. Definitely Fabio, the former Eastern Bloc have an untouchable record in junior and U23 time-trials at the World championships. Pagani, born 16/11/1982, is comfortably the oldest man in the field - he turns 24 in four weeks time. Better get out the zimmer frame and book that place in your dream retirement home, Federico.

More and more athletes are underway, the last ones being Stefan Kushlev (Bul) and the second Kazakh competitor, Berik Kupeshov. Kushlev was actually a pro with Portuguese Continental team Barbot in 2005, but didn't stay on for another year.

 Stefan Schaefer gets closer to the second time check (km. 23.7) and tries to improve the time set by Taramaee the Estonian. Another guy from Algeria at the start line. his name being Mohamed Aoun Seghir. Schaefer betters Taramaee's time by 27 seconds, while sandwiched in between comes Samoilau, the Belrusian now second overall. Schaefer stood behind Samoilau on GC at the first check, but did better than him in the last kilometres.

A certain prolific poster on the forum has high hopes in Australian Shaun Higgerson; he's just started his ride.

 Italy's Marangoni makes it to time check number two, his time is the fith only, 39'75" down on the German currently in the lead as well as four seconds clear of Poland's Maciek,

1450 CEST - Aargh, what a start by Chris Froome! The white rider from Kenya switched a bit too much to the right and hit a UCI "commissaire" on the parcours. Neither guys got injured, and the Kenyan was immedialtely back in the saddle. But boy, what a way to start his ride!

Sure Filippov the Russian had a better start to the race. And kept his flying ways into the second time check. Alexander improved Schaefer's time by about half a dozen secs! Konovalovas from Lithuania set the sixth best time at the first time check (km. 10.1) instead. He's 20" down on Filippov.

Rigoberto Uran, the Colombian, comes to the finish line, and easily clocks the best time: 51'50"48, 1'05" better than Zeits, the Kazakh. While another Spaniard (Chacon) starts his race, Taciak the Pole comes to the line and gets a better time than Uran by 7 seconds, though the riders to come soon are very likely to improve on his time.

1500 CEST - Stefan Schaefer gets to the line and - to nobody's surprise - takes spot number one: 50'49"70 is his time. The German was by far better than Taaramae, the Estonian, who at the turn previously improved Taciak's time.

We're almost down to the last 20 starters now, where the real quality and all the medal contenders are found.

Surutkovych from the Ukraine is not as good instead: the man is no Grabovskyy, and he showed it well as he finished down in seventh (provisionally).

Branislau Samoilau crossed the line with the second best time, but he did worse than the current leader Schaefer by 32 seconds. Expect Russia's Alexander Filippov to storm to the line and take first place soon anyway.

1505 CEST - Hutchings the Kiwi comes to time check #2, in a time of 33'41"09: that's the fourth best one at the moment. He's not going to figure on the podium for sure. Neither is fellow Anglophone Steven Cozza (United States of America), having the tenth best time at the same time check (23.7km)

Italy's Marangoni crosses the line with the fourth best time: 51'34"74. Not a ride entering the cycling books, for sure.

1507 CEST - With plenty of guys still to go, we have Germany's Schaefer in the lead and Samoilau of Belarus in second place - but Filippov is coming! The Russian winds through the final straight, he's very close to the line. Only a few metres to go for the Russian: 50'19"94! His time is better than Schaefer's by close to half a minute! Meanwhile, Switzerland's Frei is at the start line. Only a few metres to go for the Russian. And here comes Alexandr Filippov: 50'19"94 ! His time is better than Schaefer's by close to half a minute.

1513 CEST - Marty Jamieson the Aussie is at the startline.  He took on his challenge in Salzburg's sunny roads. In the meantime Steven Cozza gets close to the finishing line. By the way, Alexander Frei was fourth in the European U23 TT championship in July. He's definitely an outside bet for a medal, but it would need a great ride. Cozza doesn't get into the top 10.

Luca Barla of Italy at the first time check: 10.1 kms into the ride, he sets the time of 14'54"96. That's a decent performance putting him in place number five. while his compatriot Marangoni currently has the ninth time at the first check.

1517 CEST - Gotta aplogise for what we wrote erlier. Steven Cozza DID get into the top ten spots. He's the current owner of spot number nine, which Slovakia's Martin Velits (10th place finisher) couldn't steal him. Martin Velits finishes just behind Cozza, tenth on the road, with 52'19"45.

Maxim Belkov's chain comes off approaching the first time check! He looked to be challenging his compatriot Filippov for the lead too! Over the top, he's eighth fastest, 20 seconds down, but considering that he had to come to a complete stop uphill, it could have been so much better.

By the way, Tour de l'Avenir sensation Edvald Boasson Hagen and Brit Ian Stannard have also left the start house.  Back at the finishline, Alex Filippov salutes the cameras. But he looks a bit worried as he watches his compatriot going so fast. Belkov might well regian the time he lost due to his chain problems.

Hutchings the Kiwi comes to the line. And sets the third time 33 seconds down on Filippov.  However, Slovenian Kristian Koren has smashed the current leader's time on the first check point by a full 20 seconds.  And another guy from Slovenia (Simon Spilak) just started his own ITT.  Frei the Swiss is not doing that fine instead: his time at the second time check is just the 7th thus far.

Now Jerome Coppel, U23 TT champion of France, fires out of the start gate; this man was second to Grabovskyy in the European TT champs. uh, look at that Norse coming! Norway's Boasson Hagen (both being last names!) has a good second place performance after 10.1 km; his time being "only" 21"78 worse than Koren's but about 4 secs better than Filippov's. Kudos to the Viking! 22 seconds down on Koren... still, one wonders if there's anything Hagen can't do. He's still only 19.

Two men to go now, as Jos van Emden, one of Rabobank's many U23 stars, starts his ride. Just the two big favourites, Grabovskyy and Ignatiev, to come.

On the first time check, looks like Belgian Cornu is having a good day. Good indded: his time being the first!  14'15"99, slighlty better than Koren Yes, a mere 1.25 better than the Slovenian.

1530 - Konovalovas the Lithuanian is about to make it to the line. Grabovskyy, still rather fresh-faced, leaves the starting gate looking very nervous. Not surprising, considering he's under a lot of pressure. Konovalovas (racing for France's VC La Pomme Marseille) scores a decent fourth time.

1531 CEST - Denmark's Rasmussen to the first time check. His performance his quite poor anyway.  He's ninth over the top - well, he's a big lad and is better suited to the sprints, as we saw the Tours of Denmark and Britain.

 Last year's winner Mikhail Ignatiev has left the building - no more riders now.  Rasmussen was ninth also at the past European champs a few weeks ago.

Lars Boom of Holland is the next to the km. 10 check, he has the sixth time, 33'04" down on the leader. He really looked to be suffering as the climb steepened. And there's still 30 minutes of pain to come!

The current leader is Dominique Cornu of Belgium of course. He is bound for Davitamon in 2007 - it's been a good year for Cornu, as U23 champion of Belgium, a stage winner in the Ronde de l'Isard and victor of the Het Volk without contracts.

1535 CEST - While Grabovskyy is having a powerful start to his ride, Belaru's Kunitski sets the seventh time at the km. 10 check. Over the top, Martin Mortensen is way down the field, 19th at 48'56". Still, the rangy Dane - fourth last year - should make up time on the flatter sections. Nonetheless, this isn't the kind of course he'd like.

1537 CEST - Time number 13th for Italy's Luca Barla at the second time check. He's doing worse than Steven Cozza.  Simon Spilak has got time number five at the first check, about 31 seconds behind Cornu.

And here comes Jerome Coppel ... Jerome Coppel almost at the 10,1 km point Not many riders have looked good on this climb before the first time check at 10.1km. It really kicks up near the top. He is 3rd at 15 sec there Definitely good for a podium spot. This is good for France, as this man certainly has the ability to take a medal. The French commentators at Eurosport also sound veeery pleased with his performance: "c'est tres bon!!"

At the second time split, Tony Martin can only go through, 8th at 33'76".

1540 CEST - But Koren is going to do better than him 33'22"28 for the Slovene. That's the third time thus far He's third at 9'73" now - is he going to pay for that lightning-fast start?  It looks like that. He kicked Samoilau off the podium places anyway.

 Holland's Van Emden is 7th at time check #1

BUT HERE COMES THE BIG GRABOVSKYY!!
Froome the Kenyan finishes in a good 16th time, by the way. Considering the mistake at the start... He apparently recovered after the tragicomical start we mentioned earlier.

1543 CEST - Boasson Hagen comes to check number two And sets time number two! Grabovskyy crosses the 10.1km check fourth at 22'98 - it's vital to stay in close proximity to the leaders on the climb, and he's done exactly that! Dmytro has all the time and legs to regain places in the second half of the race

 Ignantiev is fourth too! The Russian improved Grabovskyy's time by a couple seconds at the km. 10 check. But rival Ignatiev knocks the Ukrainian into fifth at the first check, going through 19'07 down.

YES, WE HAVE A RACE! My word, Cornu is flying!!!

Russi's Alex Filippov still has the best time at the finish line, but half a dozen guys did better than him at intermediate checks. One of them being Dominique Cornu Now at the second time check And he betters Filippov's time by 53"91!! He's 53'97" ahead of Filippov - almost a minute. Looks like the Belgian will be setting the standard.

WHAT A RIDE THE BELGIAN IS HAVING!!

Denifl, riding on home soil, crosses the line 3'41" down. He's not going to trouble the favourites. Rasmussen of Denmark at km. 23.7; but he's no real podium threat, his time being the 12th so far, over 01'30" behind Cornu.

Jerome Coppel looks very smooth out on the roads, down in the tri-bars with Mavic disc wheel spinning. Coppel was 2nd in July at the European TT Champs after Grabovskyy and ahead of Cornu.

1511 CEST - It's Boom-time at the second time check. But it's not a good time: the Dutch rider is 15th, 01'43" down on the flying Belgian. Looks like Boom has exploded... I should be shot for that joke. Kunitski is better than Boom Boom, but not good enough to be a medal threat: he's 07th, 01'16" behind the Belgian.

Tomorrow should be better for Italy with Nibali and Pinotti. Nibali being the last winner in the Italian Nationals in June.

Maxim Belkov (Russia) finishes fifth - if only he hadn't dropped his chain on the climb...  The Shark of the Strait is still a bit too young for a medal in this race IMO. Maybe in the next years. Coppel at 23,7 km point at 34 sec of Cornu.

The Frenchman is really fighting to bring back time on Cornu; he's knocked Filippov out of second place at that second check. And Germany's Martin at the line, with a 7th-place-so-far performance that won't make his fans too happy, we think. But here comes Koren. Kristian Koren comes through the last few bends; he's paid the price for that quick start, but it's still a solid time. Fourth ay 44'80".  Koren was the big surprise at the European Champs with a top 5 rank as well.

Latham of New Zealand is 8th at km. 23.7, about 01'08" behind.Last year's bronze medalist will be hard pushed to get a medal this time round.

1600 CEST - Boasson Hagen gets to the finish, his time is not better than Filippov's though. The Norse takes 2nd, 21'17" down on the Russian. Jos van Emden goes over the second time check; he is not liking these hills. Eighteenth at 1'33" for the Dutchman - disaster. 

Boasson Hagen did better than Scheafer by 8 second however, and kicked Schafer down to place number three so far 16th at 1'28" for Grabovskyy! Another DISASTER!

Cornu is going to win?? This is wide open!!  And Grabovsky's "disaster" is arguably MUCH bigger than van Ende's! But Ignatiev is not going down without a fight - third at 39'19" at the 23.7km check.

Britain's Stannard, here comes Cornu! Cornu at the finish in a time of 49m28.42 of course the best time 51'52" ahead of Filippov!

WHAT A FANTASTIC RIDE! He doesn't look to have suffered too much for the good start... it's down to Coppel and Ignatiev, in my opinion, to challenge. He has ridden himself to exhaustion; Cornu is red-faced, trying to breath, in the finish enclosure. The Belgian smoked all the guys that crossed before him, and is well poised to do the same with the few ones who still have to.

Here comes Alex Rasmussen. Looks like he's improved on the mainly-downhill third section. Cornu is already giving interviews - the press seem to think he's won already. Seventh at 1'38" at the end for Rasmussen - he made up a bit of time in the last 15km or so.

Lars Boom crosses the line - 18th at 2'32". Not his kind of course, but he will still be disappointed with that. Nonetheless, the road race could offer salvation for the Rabobank rider.

Andrei Kunitski (Belarus) comes across the line grimacing, for tenth place.
Martin Mortensen gives it everything to finish tenth at 1'46", demoting Kunitski. The loudspeaker was really blaring through that last kilometre: clearly the Dane was hurting. 

Spilak and Coppel about to reach the line. The Slovene sets the 6th time, 01'26" down on Cornu. Coppel doesn't make it, He cant get better than second. 44 sec slower then Cornu, he lost 10 sec in the 3rd part of the race. Not a bad result anyway. The French rider takes in his final metres 2nd place in a big event this year for Coppel
Just six seconds faster than Filippov, who is demoted to third. The Russian waved to the camera as if to accept it. His second silver medal a few months after his Euro Champs performance ... provided Coppel keeps his place of course only Ignatiev can beat Coppel to 3rd of course.

Latham is not going to put Coppel's medal in jeopardy for sure. The Kiwi scores the 8th time (50'57"45), about 01'28" down on Cornu; Latham just behind fellow Kiwi Logan Hutchings. New Zealand looks to have a good pair of talents in those two.

2 km to go for Grabovskyy, absolutely NOT living up to expectations today. Here comes Van Emden, also a big disappointment. He is way down the field... Twentieth at 2'06", beating Brit Stannard by one second. Way to endear yourself to me, Jos...

Here's Grabovskyy , he'll finish off the top 10 places even ...  He's been a star of U23 road racing this year, but this will not be a highlight for the Ukrainian. Grabovskyy was 14th, But Ignatiev was much better.

THE RUSSIAN ENDED 2ND! 31.7 seconds down on the Belgian - he blitzed that last section! Wow!!

SO DOMINIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIQUE COOOORNUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU is the brand new ITT World Champion in the U23 Class!!

U-23 2006 ITT World Championships Results:
1 Dominique Cornu (Belgium) 49.28
2 Mikhail Ignatiev (Russian Federation) 0.37
3 Jerome Coppel (France) 0.45
 4 Alexander Filippov (Russia) 0.51
5 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Norway) 1.13
6 Stefan Schaefer (Germany) 1.20
7 Logan Hutchings (New Zealand) 1.25
8. Simon Spilak (Slovenia) 1.26
9. Peter Latham (New Zealand) 1.29
10 Kristian Koren (Slovenia)
... 23. Stannard ... 30. Cozza. ... 32. Luca Barla... 40. Bookwalter

A lot of surprises today, on a tricky course; it could be a exciting and surprising TT tomorrow looks a course for riders who can climb and not for the pure stampers like Bodrogi and Lang. I'd be tempted to say not for Millar too. And the fact today's winner doesn't have the silhouette of a pure sprinter, neither of a mighty TT specialist, is a further confirmation of Bart's words.

Dominique Cornu: "I was confident that I could do fine and hit the podium, but I didn't think I could win. I still can't believe I did, " were Cornu's first post win words. The Belgian also said he's turning a pro the next season, "and that will be a big challenge to me" he added.

Thanks to our commentators today, Fabio, Andy and Bart Hazen joining in. Join us tomorrow as the Pros ride for the glory and rainbow jerseys.
Full results to follow...