Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team 2007

Chris Baldwin rounds the first turn of the time trial Saturday.
Greenville, S.C. — Chris Baldwin said he could not have gone any faster in Saturday’s USA Cycling Championship Time Trial.

“I was riding harder than I was last year,” Baldwin said. “I couldn’t have done any better training or preparation.”

Baldwin finished eighth in the 18.1-mile (30.7 km) time trial through The Cliffs Valley. David Zabriskie (CSC) successfully defended his time trial national championship with a time 59 seconds faster. Zabriskie crossed the finish line after 39 minutes and 34 seconds, averaging 28.3 mph (45.6 kph). Two riders from Team Slipstream presented by Chipotle, Danny Pate and Timmy Duggan, finished second and third, respectively.

On a slightly longer (20.15-mile) course last year, Zabriskie won by 1.4 seconds over Pate with an average speed of 28.8 mph (46.4 kph). Seven riders were within one minute of Zabriskie’s time this year, compared to three last year.

“Guys are just going fast. They’re flying,” Baldwin said. “To have seven guys within a minute of Zabriskie shows that there are a lot of riders at a high level right now."

Toyota-United Team Director Harm Jansen said Baldwin can hold his head high despite falling short of his goal of winning a third national time trial title. The 31-year-old won the event in 2003 and 2005.

“He’s done more racing than anyone else on our team this year,” Jansen said. “And he has been consistent in all these different stage races. When you look at how many races he’s done and how well he’s performed, it actually transforms him into a more of an endurance athlete than strictly a strong time trialist.”

Toyota-United had a special guest riding in the Toyota Prius team car Saturday: Toyota-United-sponsored endurance cyclist Daniel Sheret, an amputee who is riding his United bicycle across the world to raise money and awareness for two organizations’ work with landmine survivors. Sheret is getting ready to embark on the second part of his journey, which will take him across the United Kingdom and Europe later this month. For more information about his ride, visit www.abilitytrek.org.