A flat time trial midway through an early-season stage race may not usually be something to relish, but this afternoon's third stage of Paris-Nice is a little different. It's a team time trial for one, and it is only one of two such events held between now and 4 July – the date of the Tour de France TTT in Barcelona that will decide the first yellow jersey of the race.
That means that today's 23.5km race between Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire and Pouilly-sur-Loire in central France is an important dress rehearsal for Le Grand Boucle. The only other opportunity will be on the eve of the big race at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (formerly known as the Critérium du Dauphiné).
