Team Time Trial

The Tour Mediterraneen, an early season affair in the south of France, give some ProTour teams the opportunity to stretch their collective legs. It also provides the perfect setting for 2nd-tier teams to see how they stack up against the big guns. Wednesday morning's opening stage was a 26.2 km Team Time Trial (TTT).

Caisse d'Epargne - Iles Balears
The boys of the Balearic Islands know how to get it done. This is what a TTT should look like... a nice, tight paceline, only the first two guys in their aerobars, the rider off to the side moving back while staying tight to the line. Poetry in motion. These guys took 1st, and pretty handily.

Ag2r PrevoyanceAlso a ProTour team, Ag2r have this technique down. You've got to wonder, though: do they draw straws to decide who has to ride behind Samuel Dumoulin (in 2nd wheel in this picture). Dude is 5'2"!!! There's nothing to draft off! In other news, Dumoulin got dropped and finished 5:44 down.

Unibet.comThe story behind the Question Mark on their jerseys has been done to death. Now, I know these guys are new to the ProTour, and I know that they had to drop a whole bunch of money on new "?" kits, but honestly, you have to wonder: What did the guy in 2nd wheel do to deserve a road bike in a TTT? All of his teammates have pretty, matching bikes. Did he sleep with the DS's daughter? I think he slept with the DS's daughter. I bet it was worth it, too.

Elk Haus-SimplonI have never heard of Elk Haus. I think it's pretty respectable that they only finished 2:33 behind Caisse d'Epargne. However, everything about them screams "We're out of our league!" None of their bikes match, few of their helmets match, they're all over the road. It's like the Rutgers team got invited to a National Calendar race... you can sort of see it, can't you? Blake's the guy with the aero helmet, digging deep but not quite aware that there's nobody on his wheel. Will's the guy pulling everyone, thinking "god I hate time trials", and Mark (an equally capable cottage of wattage) is the guy in the back, thinking "god I hate time trials". Charlie, potentially the best time trialist on the team, decided to skip today's stage to go ride a MTB uphill for 4 hours. Seriously, Elk Haus, get it together. Oh well, at least you weren't Dead F'in Last.

DFLWhich brings us to team DFL. The name actually stands for Driving Force Logistics, but it might as well stand for Dead F'in Last, 'cause that's where these poor schmucks wound up. It's not their fault, though! I bet if team management, or presenting sponsor Litespeed, had sprung for TT bikes, or at least clip-on aerobars, they might've stood a chance. They don't even have matching arm-warmers, for crying out loud! Oddly enough, they do have matching helmets. In any event, they came in 3:46 down, in last place by a long ways. At least they beat Dumoulin.

(photos borrowed from Fotoreporter Sirotti and cyclingnews.com)