The TTT is probably the hardest of all events. A fluid but very
rapid 'pace line' is central to success. For the riders it will be an
exhilarating experience, an agonizing torture or a totally frustrating
exercise. If you are strong and can be as good as (or better than) your
teammates then it will be exhilarating. If you are one of the weaker 'links in
the chain' it can be sheer torture. If you feel that other riders are slowing
the team's pace it can be extremely frustrating. However it
makes no sense for the best riders to rip the legs off of the others or
alternatively for the whole team to wait for one really weak rider. In
the same way that 'all star' teams often fail in other sports, cycling's team
time trial is an art of itself and a team of champions will not necessarily
win. It takes extreme concentration and group discipline where the pace line is
tight, the tempo fluid and without sudden accelerations. Having given your all
on the front, a smooth transition to the next rider will allow you to slip back
into the slipstream and recuperate for your next turn. Everyone should be aware
of the wind direction and road obstacles. Common to every single rider is the
pressure to perform because obviously if you do not (or cannot) pull your weight
then you are affecting the whole team. In a Grand Tour each team starts with
nine riders. The finish time for the team is dictated by the fifth rider over
the line. Everybody in the first five cluster has that
time added to their GC tally. Any that are dropped have their own time count
for the GC. Consequently for the top GC contenders a poor TTT result could
produce serious consequences to their GC aspirations. Most teams prefer to
finish 'en bloc'. However some may choose to 'sacrifice' some riders and use
them as early pace makers much in the way that the sprinters are set up for
their final burst. In the 2001 TdF the USPS team
crashed on wet roads and immediately Armstrong/Bruyneel
decided that the team should wait for the two downed riders, one of whom was
the all important Roberto Heras. This was a brave
decision at the time but such was the team harmony that they were soon back
into their high pace and finished as a complete team and with a high place. All for one, and one for all.