TRIAL BALLOONS

February 27 ^th 2023 - 17:41

 SPLIT TEAMS — THE POWER OF THREE (IV/VI)

 In their dogged efforts to create the right conditions for thrilling battles and stretch out the suspense, the organisers of stage races have never shied away from tinkering with the parameters of time trials. This year, Paris–Nice is experimenting with a peculiar team time trial format in which each rider will be credited with his actual time in the stage. An individual time trial raced as a team is certainly a left-field idea, but the history of cycling is rife with exotic concepts for the race against the clock. This series reviews these attempts to push the envelope, some of which went down in history.  

Another spin on team time trials consists of splitting each team into two groups and setting them loose on the course. This concept had its heyday in 1990 and 1991, when the Vuelta used it for its prologues on two occasions. The Tour Alsace has also adopted the idea.