The German time trial mixed won the gold medal at the road cycling world championships in Flanders when Tony Martin said goodbye.

In the last career race of the four-time individual world champion Martin, the German team needed 50:49 minutes on Wednesday over 44.5 flat kilometers from Knokke-Heist to Bruges and thus won ahead of the Dutch team (+ 0:13 minutes) and Italy (+ 0 : 38) “This is the best possible ending.

It's a dream, "said Martin with tears in his eyes:" I'm very grateful to the team, especially the women.

You made the difference.

Now it's time to celebrate. "

Martin, Max Walscheid and Nikias Arndt set the second fastest time behind Italy in the first half before the three Olympic champions Lisa Klein, Lisa Brennauer and Mieke Kröger took to the track. The gold trio from Tokyo on the track quickly made up for the gap to Italy and also kept the strong Orange women at a distance.

At the premiere in 2019, the German team also won silver.

Martin and the three women were already there back then.

Martin's team-mates were aware of the special nature of the race - and were extra motivated.

"It is a legend that is leaving here", Walscheid had said in advance: "He is one of the outstanding time trial drivers of the last ten years." Klein spoke of an "honor to drive his last race with him." Martin worked in front of this highly concentrated.

Focused, he adjusted the futuristic time trial helmet, then started the last 22.5 km of his career - that was how long the course was until he switched to the women in Bruges.

Critic for more security

Martin looks back on a very successful time in cycling.

Among other things, he was four times world champion in the individual time trial (2011 to 2013, 2016).

In 2012 in London he was runner-up in the Olympic Games.

He triumphed ten times at the German championships.

He won five stages of the Tour de France, and in 2015 he temporarily wore the yellow jersey.

Martin had earned an excellent reputation in the peloton in recent years, not least as a critic and admonisher for better safety precautions.

The word of the Swiss by choice had weight.

In the future, Martin wants to pass this experience on to young people.

He had talks about a cooperation with a sports school in his home town of Kreuzlingen a long time ago.

But first of all, a vacation with the family is on the agenda.

On Tuesday, junior Antonia Niedermaier gave the Bund Deutscher Radfahrer (BDR) the first medal when she won bronze in the fight against the clock.