
A rapid ride around the city of Tunja, with altitude playing a big part in the performances of all teams on the start list. The Rally Cycling squad spent a long time in the hot seat after setting a scorching time of 19’01” early in the day, before eventually being bumped by WorldTour teams expected to contest the overall general classification. A final placing of fourth puts the team right in the mix for the GC top ten battle.

DATE | 2.11.20
DISTANCE | 16.7 km
Roster
-
- Rob Britton
-
- Nate Brown
-
- Robin Carpenter
-
- Colin Joyce
-
- Gavin Mannion
-
- Kyle Murphy
Route
There was no easing into Tour Colombia 2.1, it was full gas from the very start. A lung-busting lap around the outskirts of Colombia’s coldest town, Tunja, starting and finishing on the ‘Via Exito’.
Terrain
As TTTs go, this one was pretty typical. A blast out of town, a small hill and then straight back to where it started. The minor climb caused problems for a few teams.
Weather
Blazing sunshine, naturally. It is Colombia after all. A tough headwind made life difficult on the long straightaways follwed by a cross-tailwind for the final grind to the line.
Quote of the day
“Team time trials are ALWAYS full gas, so it was hard for sure. The boys did a great job pacing it and I think we ended up with the best possible result we could. The wind was a major issue but the new Felt AR really shines in these conditions.” – Rob Britton
DECISIVE MOMENTS
- Off the ramp fifth, Rally Cycling sets the fastest time of the day, comfortably coming in under the 20-minute mark at 19’01.
- The wind played havoc for all the teams, especially those with more diminutive climbers.
- Two small Colombian boys pick the wrong stage to try and ride alongside their heroes. Attempt to keep up with Deceuninck’s full TT train. Get dropped in microseconds.
- Rally Cycling’s time is bested by WorldTour squads EF Pro Cycling, Deceuninck Quick-Step and Ineos. However, the Rally boys showed their class in finishing fourth, besting the remaining WorldTour teams of UAE Team Emirates, Movistar, and Israel Start-Up Nation.
lay of the land
Rally Cycling is in this race! Tomorrow is looking flatter than a gel wrapper that got run over by a WorldTour team bus, so expect a fast finale. The team will be looking to set up Colin Joyce for the field sprint. With three intermediate sprints along the course, we might see a few opportunists trying for the break and some early bonus points. The team is 100% committed to helping Gavin grab a great result in the GC, while still looking out for opportunities themselves.