Tuesday is a day where some teams are very much looking forward to, and others dreading: the always-tough team time trial.
After two days of aggressive racing and successful breakaways, the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes reaches its first major general classification test on Tuesday with a tough 28.4-kilometre team time trial around Le Perreux.
Hilly test at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
The route is not flat either. It’s got some lumps, which makes it even tougher when you’re trying to keep the squad together as long as possible. Two lengthy climbs towards Coutouvre and Montagny break up the course before a rapid run back to town. While none of the hills are especially steep, the rolling terrain will punish teams that go too hard. A final uphill kick to the line, with gradients reaching 7 per cent, adds another sting to the day.
The test is using the “new” TTT format, with individual rider times counting at the finish, teams must balance protecting their GC contenders while maintaining speed throughout the course. Look for helpers to do massive pulls before sitting up: it’s all about the riders going for the overall.
Netcompany INEOS enters as one of the favourites after its strong team time trial performances earlier this season.
However, Visma-Lease a Bike brings a formidable line-up featuring Wout van Aert, Edoardo Affini and Matteo Jorgenson, while Lidl-Trek will be looking to put leader Juan Ayuso in a strong position.
The Canadians racing
Sainte-Perpétue, Centre-du-Québec, Que.’s Hugo Houle leads his Alpecin-Premier Tech squad, and TT specialist Michael Leonard from Oakville, Ont. is there for American squad EF Education-EasyPost. In a fun plot twist à la CanCon, Leonard’s French teammate, Alex Baudin, is in the leader’s jersey, or, rather, skinsuit, over Houle’s teammate Ramses Debruyne by just over half a minute.
Action gets underway on FloBikes.com at 9:10 a.m. EDT. You may not think it, but team time trials can actually be sort of fun and dramatic to watch, especially with the new format. If you miss it, check back here on Canadian Cycling Magazine for a report.
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