♂️ Race begins with 19.6km route through Barcelona
♂️ Stage-by-stage guide | Team guide | Email Andy
Emailing in, James Beardon does not think much of this new-fangled format:
“Not sure about this TTT. I’m not a fan of the ITT but TTTs are usually pretty entertaining just watching teams trying to stay together. The use of individual times just makes it an ITT, not a TTT – they just happen to go off at the same time. Seems a bit pointless to me (but it’s the Tour so of course I’m watching it!) Any thoughts or am I just being grumpy?”
Thanks James. My take: on the contrary, I think it is essentially a normal TTT aside from the last 4km. I fully expect most teams to stay together for the flat, first 15km and treat it in the manner we are accustomed to.
David Powell writes in remarking that it is hot in Barcelona, offering a charming selfie of an Englishman in the afternoon sun.