For several months, Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe have been working intensively on the “TTT” project. The team time trial at the Trofeo Ses Salines marked the first real test under race conditions—and it delivered in convincing fashion.
The season debut of Remco Evenepoel and Florian Lipowitz ended not only with a victory, but with the fastest team time trial ever.
With an average speed of 59.7 km/h, the team made a clear statement on the roads of Mallorca. Remco Evenepoel, Florian Lipowitz, Mattia Cattaneo, Nico Denz, Lorenzo Finn, Gianni Moscon and Maxim Van Gils lived up to their role as favourites and rewarded the team for an intensive period of preparation.
The result is also an important confirmation on the road towards 4 July, the opening day of the Tour de France in Barcelona. The pacing plan developed ahead of the race worked exactly as intended: staying within striking distance at the intermediate time check before making the decisive difference in the second half. A headwind and a short kicker in the finale placed the focus firmly on strength and reserves—precisely where the team was able to play to its strengths.
A team time trial victory is always something special. This result is the outcome of an enormous collective effort by the entire team and all departments involved in the TTT project we’ve been working on since last year. It’s a true team win.
— Patxi Villa
Team time trials are always demanding, but we had a clear plan and it paid off. We knew the headwind and the short kicker would be decisive, and that’s where we made the difference. Starting the season with a win—especially with new teammates—feels great and is a real boost for morale.
— Remco Evenepoel
