Mathieu van der Poel and Alpecin-Premier Tech hit the Costa Blanca to prepare for Tour de France opening TTT

The 113th edition of the Tour de France begins in Barcelona in five weeks, and rather than starting with a traditional prologue or a standard road stage, the race will open with a team time trial. Because this discipline requires precise coordination, teams are already starting their specific preparation well in advance.

Several riders from Alpecin-Premier Tech were recently spotted on their time trial bikes in Spain. Team leader Mathieu van der Poel shared a photo on his Instagram stories showing himself and several teammates practicing their team time trial formation on the roads of the Costa Blanca, as the Belgian squad is using this camp to fine-tune their pacing and positioning ahead of the opening day.

The opening stage, which will take place on Saturday, July 4, features a 19.7-kilometer team time trial through the streets of Barcelona. Race organizer ASO recently released the official schedule for the event, and the first team is set to leave the start ramp at 17:05, while the final squad will start its effort at 18:55.

With all teams expected to finish by around 19:15, fading daylight is not expected to be an issue, ensuring identical and fair visibility conditions for every group on the road. This was a concern, as the first stage of La Vuelta a España 2023 was also a team time trial and the last teams had to finish their effort in darkness, sparking so much anger from riders such as Remco Evenepoel.

The opening day will bring extra tactical tension due to a significant rule change introduced by the ASO. For the first time, individual times will count for every single rider.

This departs from the traditional format, where a team's official time is determined by the position of their fourth or fifth rider across the finish line, completely changing how squads must manage their lineup during the stage.