BRUSSELS: Dutch outfit Jumbo-Visma stormed to victory on the Tour de France team time-trial on Sunday with Mike Teunissen keeping the yellow jersey after the 27.6km second stage around Brussels.
Teunissen maintained his overnight lead when his team beat Geraint Thomas’ Ineos by an impressive 20 seconds, with the next five teams all grouped within a handful of seconds.
Ineos were the first group down the ramp on Sunday and set a pulsating time for the others to chase, holding onto their lead until Jumbo, last off the blocks, smashed 20 seconds off the British team’s time just when it appeared that Gianni Moscon would take the yellow jersey.
Instead, Saturday’s surprise winner not only keeps his overnight lead, but moves further clear of his rivals from other teams.
“It was a pretty decent time,” a breathless defending champion Geraint Thomas said at the finish line at the giant Brussels Atomium, built for the 1958 World Fair.
“I was pretty sore hitting the barriers yesterday, so the good news (is) I’m totally fine.”
Those looking for signs this will be an open and competitive Tour de France, will see the minimal time differences between the main contenders as a sign of how tight it is. The times for the team time-trial are taken from the fourth man crossing the line, while dropped riders take their own time, as with Vuelta a Espana champion Simon Yates, who was left behind with 10km to race. — AFP
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