To this day, time trials are still important when it comes to deciding the overall classification in grand tours. It doesn't take much thought to come up with examples. For example, Jonas Vingegaard in the 2023 Tour de France, or Primoz Roglic on Monte Lussari in the Giro of the same year.
However, it is also fair to say that time trials are no longer what they were in the past. In the past, riders endured much bigger challenges as time trials were much longer than they are now.
Thanks to the compilation of X user Jordi Escrihuela, we can compare the kilometers of time trials ridden in 1995 and those that will be ridden 30 years later, in 2025.
In the 3 grand tours of the 1995 season, the following distances were covered in time trials:
Now, the data of the 3 races in 2025:
As can be seen, the difference is eye opening. Many defend the new trend of shorter time trials for the general interest of the spectator, as new followers of the sport tend not to like time trials. In the end, you can't please everyone, and something as decisive as time trials cannot lose so much importance.
As an added bonus, I thought it was a good idea to remember who won each of the above-mentioned time trials in 1995, comparing them with the winner of the general classification, showing how important they were at that time.
GIRO D'ITALIA 1995 - Overall winner: Tony Rominger.
*Note: Tony Rominger won the overall with 4 stage victories, 3 of them in the time trials.
TOUR DE FRANCE 1995 - Overall winner: Miguel Induráin.
*Note: Miguel Induráin won that Tour with only 2 stage victories, both in time trials.
VUELTA A ESPAÑA 1995 - Overall winner: Laurent Jalabert
*Note: Abraham Olano finished 2nd overall.