The first and only time trial of the 2015 Tour de France, over 13.8 kilometers, was set up as a duel between established time trialists and emerging talents. And the youngsters won: Australian Rohan Dennis (BMC), 25 years old, former hour record holder, won in Utrecht and wore the yellow jersey with a 5-second lead over Tony Martin and 6" over Fabian Cancellara, both from the old guard, and 8" over Tom Dumoulin, from the 1990s generation like the winner. Dennis also became the fastest time trialist in Tour de France history with an average speed of 55.45 km/h. Jonathan Castroviejo (Movistar), sixth at 23", was the best Spaniard.
Among the favorites, Frenchman Thibout Pinot (FDJ) struck first and sent a serious warning to the 'Big Four'. The third-place finisher in the 2014 Tour, another gem from the class of 1990, gained 2 seconds on Vincenzo Nibali, 9" on Chris Froome, 17" on Alberto Contador, and 20" on Nairo Quintana. The Grande Boucle has only written one chapter of a thick volume that will close on the 26th in Paris. The differences are still imperceptible. But one conclusion can be drawn: Pinot wants a fight.
The French already reached the podium last year with veteran Jean-Christophe Péraud (second) and Pinot himself. Romain Bardet, who finished sixth, also fought for a place on the Champs-Élysées podium. If we add Warren Barguil to this list, perhaps Pierre Rolland, we are facing the evidence of a resurgence of French cycling, which has not won its race since Bernard Hinault in 1985. Many have interpreted this route, with hardly any time trials, as a nod from ASO to the home riders. And still, Pinot has been the best against the clock as well.
The Dutch public rallied behind this 21st start of the Tour outside of French territory and the sixth from the Netherlands. And it especially cheered on Tom Dumoulin, born in Maastricht, 180 kilometers from the stage location. The Dutchman is a strong time trialist, a bronze medalist in the last World Championships in Ponferrada, one of the candidates to break the dominance and take over from Cancellara, Martin or Brad Wiggins. This Saturday, he started very motivated in his home country but could not wear the coveted yellow jersey: he finished 8 seconds behind Australian Rohan Dennis, with whom thrilling duels are expected in the future.