Tour 2015: Stage 1 Utrecht > Utrecht
STAGE FACT
The stage will finish by Utrecht station, alongside the world’s largest bike parking facility, which will have space for 12,500 bikes when it’s completed in 2018.
Utrecht is a city of cyclists but none will have ridden through these streets as fast as the riders of the Tour de France. This 13.8 km opening time trial (too long to be classed as a prologue) is on a speedy but technical course. There are 39 turns over the route, and 20 of those are right-angles. It will suit a powerful rider with punchy acceleration and good handling. Fabian Cancellara, are you listening?
Look out for…
Technically, we’ve got an uphill finish, but remember we’re in the Netherlands. The course starts at 3m above sea level and finishes at 5m above sea level. There’s a tricky high-speed chicane or two, and it’s all surrounded by typical Dutch street furniture.
Does this TT matter?
They’re not going to win or lose the Tour here, but GC riders could easily concede a minute to their rivals. Strong testers Froome and Nibali should fare well, while the likes of Nairo Quintana and Thibaut Pinot will try to give away as little time as possible. Rain has been known to play havoc with opening time trials and could shake things up on this twisty, silky smooth asphalt.
Who does it suit?
The Tour last visited the Netherlands in 2010 with an opening time trial in Rotterdam; Cancellara beat Tony Martin by 10 seconds over 9.8 km. Those two will be the ones to watch but so will Giant-Alpecin’s local rider Tom Dumoulin. Movistar’s Adriano Malori and Alex Dowsett, should they ride, will fancy this too.
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