Tour de France 2023: stage 16 individual time trial from Passy to Combloux – live | Tour de France 2023

Dries Devenyns: The 39-year-old Belgian Soudal-Quick-Step veteran posts the quickest time of the day so far on today’s hilly course. He stops the clock at 37min 37sec.

The Cees Bol conundrum: “That Bol was moved in the order might have to do with avoiding two riders of the same team (Astana) starting after one another and the first starter potentially giving the second a goal to ride after,” writes Mark. “I’d have expected Fedorov to be delayed though, not Bol…but maybe this is up to the team.”

Gianni Moscon: The Italian, riding for Astana, finishes on a road bike and posts a time of 37min 39sec.

An email: “Regarding the lack of spectacle and the suggestion from David Alderton that we just send out the top 10 on GC,” writes Matt Beaumont. “Can I point to the first four riders: possibly deliberately coming out slowly to keep the lantern rouge, falling at the first corner, dropping a chain and going out in the wrong order.

“It’s the early stages of a TT where these professionals actually give me hope that despite being 33, overweight and having recently had my bike kicked in by yoofs in Barnsley, I could still get a contract a from a team.”

Axel Zingle: The Cofidis rider is the current clubhouse leader with a time of 39min 05sec.

Michael Morkov finishes …

Tour interactive: “Just a plug for the joys of technology,” writes Steve McQuade. “I shall be having a crack at the course today while riding the virtual route on the turbo and watching the race. It will really ram home just how good these lads are. Targeting 60% of the winning time. The podium team won’t be seeing me.”

That’s superb. Let us know when you’re “setting off” Steve and send in your time when you’re finished. And mind yourself on that first corner!!!

That difficult first corner: Having seen three of their colleagues hit the deck on the very first corner, the remaining riders are approaching it extremely gingerly.

“Regarding the riders slipping on the road markings,” writes the Fewer Owls. “Is this someone testing the theory that watching paint dry is more interesting than Individual TTs Bring back the random beauty of the team time trial and all will be well.”

A question: “Other than the Tour, I really don’t follow cycling, so I’m not sure about the strategy on a stage like today,” writes Joe Pearson. “Since it is fairly short, will the racers basically just treat it as a sprint and go all out? Help me out, here. Thanks!”

Well Joe, as mentioned previously, almost all the riders willl just be hoping to stay upright, make the time cut and then get back to the team hotel as quickly possible so they can relax.

Those few who are pushing for the podium in Paris, the stage win, the King of the Mountains jersey or a top 10 GC finish will be taking it far more seriously. They won’t go all out from the gun as they’ll almost certainly need to conserve some energy for a big dig up the final climb to the finish.

Michael Morkov: The Dane is negotiating a steep climb five kilometres from the stage fiinish, which is no easy feat on a time trial bike with its funky handlebars and rear disc wheel.

Time trials: “I think you are right about the lack of spectacle during the these events,” writers David Alderton. “Although ‘the race of truth’ is a spin on it, almost all riders are ‘get through before the cut-off, but save energy and don’t crash’. Might as well just send the top ten GC out.

“I’ve gotten more excited about the lovely spreadsheet I just made which ranks the rider as they cross the line than I have done about today’s stage. Although it does has an average and cumulative team time, too. Even had to do some research on how to get a negative time for the splits.”

Today’s course: The very first corner on today’s course is causing problems and three riders have fallen at it already. There are road markings painted on the surface which may be slippery, although there’s no sign of rain.

An email: “I’m surprised that Pogacar is not a solid favorite today because he crushed Roglic and the field in the third week TT in 2020 to win the tour,” writes Scott. “The last two tours had already big time gaps so the last TT wasn’t for yellow. Also, riders typically get better at TT as they get older. My guess is Tadej gains 30 seconds.”

Cees Bol: The Dutch sprinter, who came into the Tour as Mark Cavendish’s lead-out man, has not abandoned and is out on the road. He was due to go out second but didn’t. At least one of our early starters seems to have set off out of sequence. You had one job, lads!

Alexis Renard: The Cofidis rider drops his chain shortly after starting and requires assistance from a team mechanic. Some early drama!!!

John Degenkolb: The DSM-Firmenich rider comes a cropper early door, his back wheel sliding out from under him as he negotiated a turn shortly after leaving the starter’s hut. He remounts and continues on his way but is feeling his wrist and elbow.

Michael Morkov: In last place on General Classification, Michael Morkov looks like he’s pedalling through treacle as he negotiates the first climb of the day. The Dane may secretly hope to hang on to his status as lanterne rouge as it comes with a certain amount of kudos and can be quite lucrative when it comes to negotiating fees for post-Tour criterium races.

Today’s time checks: There are three on today’s stage, at the 7.1km mark, at 16.1km and 18.9km. All the riders will set off on time trial bikes but there is speculation that several will switch to road bikes before hitting the final climb to the finish.

Stage 16 is go!

Today’s favourite: There are 157 riders left in this year’s Tour but the odds compilers only give three riders a sporting chance of winning today’s time trial. Jonas Vingegaard is the narrow favourite ahead of Tadej Pogacar, while Wout van Aert is third in the betting and the only other rider with single figure odds.

Our lead duo are separated by just 10 seconds, a state of affairs that will almost certainly change today but it’s anyone’s guess by how much and which way the pendulum is likely to swing. Strange things can happen to riders on the day after a rest day – even if the riders did go out for lengthy rides yesterday, legs can get stiff or even seize up after just one day away from the white hot heat of Alpine combat.

Let’s face it, individual time trials can be pretty boring and if you have important business to attend to, you’re excused for the next few hours, but make sure to be back for the business end of today’s should be fascinating.

Wout van Aert rolls down the ramp shortly after 3.19pm (BST), Tadaj Pogacar is scheduled to set off at 3.58pm and our race leader Jonas Vingegaard is last man out of the starter’s hut at 4pm on the dot. There are King of the Mountains points up for grabs today as well, so Giulio Ciccone (3.03pm) and Neilson Powless (2.22pm) will also be waging their own private war.

Who’s wearing what jersey?

Victory for Poels as Vingegaard stays in yellow

The top five on General Classification

Stage 16: Passy to Combloux (22.4km ITT)