Tour de France to start with team time trial ‘bang’

Former Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas said he wants his Netcompany Ineos team to “start with a bang” when the Grande Boucle launches this weekend in Barcelona with an intriguing team time-trial.

It will be the first team race against the clock in seven years and the first time the Tour has opened with one since 1971.

But the innovative way riders are being timed has got many tongues wagging about the potential for fireworks, and others hankering after a more traditional approach.

“I love this version because it truly represents what cycling is: an individual sport raced in teams,” Tour director Christian Prudhomme told AFP.

“We would have never brought back the team time-trial if we didn’t have this rule.”

Traditionally, the team time-trial remains a group effort right to the finish line, with each rider given the same time as the fourth or fifth member of their team to cross the line.