A short and hilly prologue opens this year’s edition. It’s only 6.4 kilometers long, but the riders will need to climb 207 height meters, meaning this prologue could suit puncheurs well. Coppel Rogers Zabriskie
are top favourites according to the bookmakers. But as said, it’s rated hilly, meaning you can’t forget about some of the biggest GC guns here. Phinney Plaza Dekker Spilak
will all be hoping to gain some time on the other contenders for the overall victory.
Vastaranta, a decent puncheur, but a bad time trialist, blasts home to an early lead. He posts a time of 10’36, is it a sign of puncheurs doing well on this course?
At least it looks like it, as Rodriguez Parra, who’s a better time trialist, but a worse puncheur, goes 5 seconds slower than Vastaranta, posting a time of 10'41.
But we don't need to wait long for a new best time. First, Wyss goes 6 seconds faster than Vastaranta, but just behind comes one of the biggest favourites of the day. Zabriskie thunders home in 10’12, giving him a lead of 17 seconds to Wyss.
There’s a lot of interesting riders going early. Van der Hugenhaben follows next, and he’s only 10 seconds slower than Zabriskie. It’s looking more and more like Zabriskie didn’t fancy this course very much. How long will his time last as the time to beat?
Van Winden underlines this course is for puncheurs, as he goes 18 seconds slower than Zabriskie, posting a time of 10'30.
We've talked about puncheurs vs. pure time trialists on this course, but how will pure climbers cope with the profile? Serpa did brilliant for Contador in the Vuelta. Festina can only hope he will be able to do the same here, as Contador could be capable of winning the race, but he will need a rock solid domestique then. Serpa proved he’s just that, and a bit more, in the Vuelta. Here, Serpa crosses the line in a provisional 15th, half a minute behind Zabriskie. A clear sign that the prologue doesn’t favour the climbers as much as the puncheurs.
Boasson Hagen is a dangerous man for this one, then. His season so far has been disappointing, but could this year’s Criterium du Dauphine, and this opening prologue be the turning point? And yes, it very much looks like the turning point. He takes the lead from Zabriskie by a few hundreds, posting a new best time. 10’11 is the new time to beat.
Kittel posts the final confirmation, this is no doubt a course for the puncheurs. He comes home in 10'22, 11 seconds behind Hagen. You don't see that too often in an individual ride against the clock.
Coppel, French champion, is next to challenge Hagen’s leading time. And indeed he does, A superb effort sees him cross the line in 10’05, 5 seconds ahead of Hagen. Can anyone come close to him today?
With Boasson Hagen going that fast, how good can Bakelants do? He was outstanding in the spring, have he kept his training on a high level for Dauphine? It definitely looks like it, coming home in 10’19, which gives him a provisional 5th.
Rogers, probably the biggest favourite for the day, is doing whatever he can to take the lead away from Coppel. But he fails, he’s behind Coppel, Hagen and Zabriskie. His time of 10’15 is 9 seconds off Coppel’s time. Not a performance to be proud of for Rogers.
Swedish champion, and leader for wildcard team Saab, Löfkvist is next to arrive the finish. He’s provisional 15th, with a time of 10’26.
Plaza was listed as one of many outsiders for the stage win. His performance in this year’s Vuelta wasn’t convincing, neither is his performance today. 10’22 gives him a provisional 9th, 16 seconds behind Coppel.
The man starting behind him comes into this race with lots of pressure on his shoulders. Taaramäe really needs to perform if Carmeuse is going to avoid relegation at the end of the season, and so he does! Beating Plaza with 4 seconds gives him a provisional 5th.
Kashechkin is next. It isn’t one of the Kazakh’s best days, he comes home on the same time as Plaza, but his 10’22 is just behind Plaza's, and a provisional 11th.
Then one of the top favourites for the overall win comes home. Uran sprints for the line, and achieves the same time as Plaza and Kashechkin, 10’22 gives him provisional 12th.
Amador had a great Giro, winning the mountain time trial there. Here, he leads UBS’ campaign for overall glory. He starts decent, 10’24 gives him provisional 14th.
Contador wasn’t anywhere near Madrazo in the Vuelta, but the rest wasn’t anywhere near him, giving him a great second place there. I’ll guess 10’20 is a bit better than expected, it gives him a provisional 8th.
World Champion, Taylor Phinney, is next, and it looks like he’s smiling when arriving the last kilometer. Probably because he knows the course suits him well when Coppel has taken the lead. He blitzes home in 10’08, 2 seconds short of Coppel’s lead.
Spilak is the second last rider to start, and the second last rider to cross the finishing line. If Carmeuse are in troubles speaking of relegation, there’s no doubt at all that Warner Brothers already are halfway down in the Continental Tour. Spilak posts a time of 10’12, giving him a good start to his overall campaign, where he hopes to defend last year’s victory.
Dekker is the last rider out on the roads, meaning he’s also the last man to challenge Coppel’s stage win. He’s too late for Coppel’s time, but 10’11 gives him 5th place, and a great start. Speaking of GC contenders, only Phinney went faster than him today.
Coppel can celebrate both the stage win and the yellow jersey. Is the yellow jersey on his shoulders a sign for what’s to come on Le Tour’s 3rd stage?
