“It wasn’t our place to sacrifice riders” - Visma refuse costly chase before crucial Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes TTT

Team Visma | Lease a Bike left stage 2 of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes with their general classification position intact and their focus already turned towards the team time trial.

Anthon Charmig took the stage victory from the breakaway in Le Puy-en-Velay, continuing the race’s early pattern of successful moves staying clear. Behind, Visma avoided burning through riders in a chase that was never fully their responsibility, with Ben Tulett remaining fifth overall at 32 seconds from race leader Alex Baudin.

For sports director Maarten Wynants, the logic of the day was clear. With stage 3 bringing a 28.4-kilometre team time trial, Visma had little interest in spending energy to control a breakaway for other teams.

“This stage could have unfolded in several ways, but in the end it made sense that the early breakaway stayed away today,” Wynants said in a Visma press release. “With tomorrow’s team time trial on the horizon, few teams were interested in taking responsibility for the chase. It wasn’t our place to sacrifice riders in the peloton. This approach allowed us to conserve energy for tomorrow.”

Stage 2 was the longest of the week, covering 234 kilometres on a rolling route with several categorised climbs. A ten-rider breakaway formed early, built a large advantage and eventually fought for the stage win while the peloton crossed the line more than three minutes behind.

Visma’s approach was shaped by what comes next. The team time trial is one of the first major GC checkpoints of the race, and the Dutch squad start with multiple riders positioned near the front of the overall standings. Tulett sits fifth at 32 seconds, while Bruno Armirail remains 11th at 35 seconds and Matteo Jorgenson is 18th at 44 seconds.

That gives Visma a chance to put pressure on Baudin and EF Education - EasyPost without having spent unnecessary energy chasing on stage 2.

French national time trial champion Armirail said the stage 3 test carries significance both for this race and for the wider summer picture. “We’re at the start here with several riders who will also be racing the Tour de France, so tomorrow’s time trial is definitely a good test,” Armirail said. “You could see it as a rehearsal, but the most important thing is to deliver a strong performance tomorrow. We’re aiming for a top result.”

The course is not a flat power test. Visma described the 28.4-kilometre route as rolling, with two climbs along the way, meaning the squad will have to balance pure time-trial strength with the climbing legs needed to keep the group together.

“On paper, this course should suit me well, but we also have several strong climbers on the team,” Armirail added. “It’s going to be demanding, but I’ll do everything I can to stay with them on the climbs and contribute to the team effort.”

Visma start stage 3 at 16:21, eight minutes before EF roll down the ramp as the final team. After choosing not to pay for the chase on stage 2, the next test will show whether that saved energy can be turned into time on the road.