Our squad had a strong start at the second Grand Tour of the season.
The 113th edition of the Tour de France began Saturday afternoon with a team time trial - the first time in seven years that the race scheduled such a stage. Barcelona, which had previously welcomed the Grande Boucle on three occasions, was the host of the Grand Depart, a 19.6km stage through the streets of the Catalan capital. The parcours: a pan-flat one with the exception of the final kilometers, which featured two demanding climbs, including the famous Montjuic hill, where the average gradient exceeded 9%.
Soudal Quick-Step got underway its 24th Tour de France with Pascal Eenkhoorn, Tim Merlier, Valentin Paret-Peintre, Jasper Stuyven, Dylan van Baarle, Bert Van Lerberghe, Ilan Van Wilder, and Louis Vervaeke, and the eight produced a fine effort to stop the clock in 22:45, thanks to an impressive average speed of 51.7km/h. Bronze medalist at last year’s ITT World Championships in Rwanda, Ilan was our first rider across the line after a powerful surge on the final part of the Montjuic.
“It was a hard but fast and exciting day, despite being only 20 kilometers in length. We had a conservative approach due to the heat and with that tough finale in mind, before launching Valentin and Ilan on the last climb, where they went full gas. Overall, we did a good TTT and can be content with the form and the determination that we showed here”, explained sports director Tom Steels.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images
