Cycling: Team BMC has lived up to its reputation as the best time trial team. The US team won the team time trial on Stage XNUMX of the Tour de France ahead of Sky, Quick-Step Floors, Mitchelton-Scott and Sunweb. The Belgian Greg Van Avermaet (BMC) takes over the yellow jersey.
Sky on the road with new time trial suits
Today's Tour de France featured an exciting team time trial on the 35,5-kilometre course with start and finish in Cholet. It was announced in advance that the team Sky will start the race with a new time trial suit. Descriptively named the Body Paint 4.2b Speedsuit, the Marginal Gains were approved by the UCI on Wednesday and are designed to provide an aerodynamic advantage. But you didn't really feel it during the first split. Team Sky was just as fast as the teams when the time was measured after 13 kilometers in Saint-André-de-la-Marche BMC and Mitchelton Scott. Selbst Movistar was just two seconds behind. In general, the spectators were able to see very quickly that the time intervals at the first time check were very small. Only then should the wheat be separated from the chaff.
BMC lives up to its reputation, Movistar loses a lot of time
Because the team Mitchelton-Scott was the first to hit the track, it also set the first serious benchmark time. However, this best time did not last long because the men from Sky were five seconds faster. But the British team couldn't really be happy, because it happened in quick succession. While Movistar lost a whopping 49 seconds on Sky, the team made up BMC about to set a new best time on the asphalt. At the second time check on the Côte de la Séguinière, BMC took the lead after 26,5 kilometers. Until the finish, the squad should not give up the place in the sun and win four seconds ahead of Sky. Because after that, no team came close to the best time. Only the German team Sunweb and the Belgian team Quick-Step Floors could still pose a threat with a narrow deficit. Besides Movistar lost especially AG2R La Mondiale with Romain Bardet properly on ground. The clock stopped at a deficit of 1:15.
Greg Van Avermaet takes over the yellow jersey
A good performance in today's team time trial was for BMC, especially with regard to the day's win and the overall ranking for Richie porte necessary. But also greg van avermaet may be happy. The Belgian classics specialist benefits from the strong performance of the entire team and takes over the yellow jersey from Peter Sagan (Bora-hansgrohe). The German team had to accept an expected deficit and give up the lead almost without a chance, especially since Peter Sagan was no longer able to follow the pace of his teammates.