Looking ahead to Stage Four: Team Time Trial

Recap: How the TTT Works
The team time trial (TTT) follows the same basic principle of the ITT (teams ride alone and the team with the fastest time wins) but requires each team to work closely together. Riders draft in an aerodynamic line, each member taking a turn at the front while teammates 'sit in' behind. After their turn, the lead rider will swing over, allowing the next rider to take the lead, while the leader goes to the back of the line. By rotating this way, the team is able to maximize recovery and speed, moving far faster than a single rider could on their own. The official team time is clocked when the 5th rider crosses the line.

Why It’s Important
The Tour de France hasn’t featured a Team Time Trial since 2005 and its inclusion this year will be extremely important in the yellow jersey and team competitions. In years past, organizers limited the amount of time any given team could lose in the TTT (in an attempt to control its effect on the GC competition), but they’ve chosen not to do that this time around. This means GC contenders on weaker teams risk losing serious time in the overall classification.

Who to Watch
Team Astana is the runaway favorite to win, with a stacked squad and four time-trial powerhouses. Four other squads are capable of delivering an upset, but it will take a near perfect ride to pull it off. Among them, of course, Team Columbia-HTC. Coming off a TTT win in the Giro D’Italia earlier this May, they’ve shown that they’re capable of riding with the best and will look to deliver another dominating performance.

Expect Saxo-Bank to be extra-motivated - if they can pull off a big ride, they’ll have a shot at keeping Fabian Cancellara in the yellow leader’s jersey all the way to Stage 7. Cervelo-Test Team will also bring a strong team to the table and, finally, Garmin-Slipstream has major firepower with the likes David Zabriskie (four-time US National Time Trial Champion), Bradley Wiggins (3rd in Stage 1 TT) and David Millar (former British National Time Trial Champion).

What happens in tomorrow’s TTT could have serious consequences for many of the top contenders. With stakes so high, every team will be looking to deliver a perfect ride.
 

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