BMC Racing Team showed its TTT strength in the 2018 Tour de France win Stage 3 and put Greg Van Avermaet into the yellow jersey.
BMC On Rhythm
BMC Racing Team was one of the first teams to roll off the ramp in Cholet and all eight riders quickly settled into the team’s trademark rhythm as they started their 35.5km team time trial.
Third-fastest at the first intermediate checkpoint after 13km, BMC Racing Team kicked it up another gear heading into the second part of the course, setting the best time at the 26.5km mark before the first five riders powered across the line in a time of 38’46″20 to move into the hot seat.
After a long wait, BMC Racing Team’s impressive show of strength, speed and teamwork proved to be enough to take both the stage win and the leader’s jersey with Van Avermaet moving into yellow ahead of teammate Tejay van Garderen at the end of the day.
“I think we were really smooth today,” said new race leader Greg Van Avermaet. “I think everybody did a good time trial and we were all working well together. We knew that Team Sky would be the team to beat and we also knew that it would be close. We worked together and that’s what team time trials are about. We stayed together with eight guys for a long time and on this parcours, that was the key to winning the race.
“It was a goal to get yellow in the first week. I have worn it one time already and it was an incredible feeling so, I am pretty happy to be in this position for a second time. I will enjoy it tomorrow because for any rider it is a special feeling. I want to thank my teammates as without them, it wouldn’t have happened,” Avermaet concluded.
Richie Porte added: “I think after what happened on the first stage, throwing 51 seconds away, it was good to take back time on some of the other GC guys. I think the guys were really impressive today. They did a really good job. It’s hard to pinpoint one of the guys but when you have someone like Stefan Küng, it makes it a little easier.
“It’s been a fantastic day. To win the stage with a team like we have here, and especially with the passing of Andy Rihs, is special. Today puts us right back in the game. It’s still a long way to Paris but it’s great to win a stage at the Tour and we will enjoy this moment.
“It’s also great to have the yellow jersey in the team and Greg deserves it. For me, the next few days are really about staying out of trouble. Yesterday, we put the team up towards the front and obviously you burn energy doing that but it’s just the way you have to ride at this Tour. Tomorrow is a little more straightforward perhaps but stage 5 is really hard. We’ve done a race there this year already so we know it is going to be a tricky stage.”
Second For Sky
The second squad down the ramp in Cholet, Team Sky worked hard to set a time of 38 minutes and 50 seconds. While the team did not achieve the desired result of putting Geraint Thomas in yellow, he did move up to 3rd overall.
Along with Froome and Thomas, Gianni Moscon, Michal Kwiatkowski, Jonathan Castroviejo and Egan Bernal all crossed the line together after Wout Poels and Luke Rowe had worked hard early. The result also lifted Bernal to second overall in the young rider classification.
After the stage Froome said he was happy with how the team rode as a unit, explaining: “Just going off feeling and how we rode that I think we can be pretty happy. I think we gave it everything we had and it went pretty much all to plan. You can never tell who is going to be on a good day and who is not. I think all in all it worked out really well for us.
“Obviously it didn’t start too well with the crash on stage one. But that’s bike racing and there’s still a lot of racing to come. We’re just taking it one day at a time at the moment and trying to get through the best we can until we get to the mountains. [Taking back some time] is reassuring. It would have been nice not to lose it in the first place, but I think there will be a lot more time lost throughout the GC group before we hit the mountains. One day you gain, one day you lose. That’s just the nature of the game really.”
Thomas added: “It was good, I think we rode really well. I’m a bit disappointed I feel like I didn’t really get it all out, I always seemed to be on the front on the descents, when we were doing short turns.
He told ITV: “There’s a few things [to improve], you always think you can go a little bit quicker, but I think we rode it really well technically and communicated well.
“We knew we could afford to lose two riders, Wout and Luke, but there was no set plan to do it, just to commit if they didn’t feel great and go as far as they could and that’s what they did.
“And that’s what it’s about, riding well like that together.”
Solid G.C. Boost for Quick Step
Quick-Step Floors – with two National ITT Champions in their ranks – were the last team to roll down the ramp and enjoyed a solid start, passing through the first split just three seconds behind the best time. Despite losing Tim Declercq and Fernando Gaviria before the 20km-to-go mark, the six remaining riders kept pushing hard, always staying close to BMC, who set the fastest time and went on to win the stage.
After stopping the clock in 38:53, only seven seconds in arrears, Quick-Step Floors slotted into third place for the team’s 88th podium finish of the season, which so far has been an outstanding one for our outfit, World Tour leader and winner of 48 UCI races. Following Monday’s result, three Quick-Step Floors riders made their way into the top 10 overall – Philippe Gilbert (4th), Bob Jungels (5th) and Julian Alaphilippe (6th) – while our squad retained the place at the top of the team classification.
“I’m proud of the boys, because despite losing some riders too early we were always up there, went hard and were in the mix for the win until the very end. The guys are a bit disappointed, which shows how competitive they are and how much they wanted the victory today. Nevertheless, their ride showed again that the team is very strong and confident for the upcoming days”, explained sports director Tom Steels after stage 3.
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