Richard Plugge questions new Tour team time trial format - 'This isn’t really a TTT'

Speaking to In de Leiderstrui after the unveiling, Plugge said he liked what he saw overall. “It’s a beautiful course. The hardest part comes at the end, which keeps the fight for yellow alive until the final days. That’s what the organisers clearly want, and I think they’ll succeed.”

But when asked about the team time trial that will open the race on Montjuïc, Plugge’s tone shifted. “I’m not a fan of this format,” he said. “A team time trial is a team time trial. What makes it beautiful is that the time of the fourth or fifth rider counts, and you have to finish together. That’s what creates the teamwork, the strategy, the tension. This new version takes that away.”

The opening stage will be a 19-kilometre circuit around Barcelona, with the clock reportedly stopping when the first rider of each team crosses the line. Plugge believes that change undermines the spirit of the discipline. “This isn’t really a team time trial,” he said. “It’s more like a long lead-out for the leader. If they want to do something different, that’s fine, but then call it what it is. Maybe a team lead-out trial,” he added with a grin.

Yet Plugge also recognises one advantage of starting the Tour in this way. “With a team time trial at the beginning, you immediately set a tone, and it brings some calm to the peloton,” he said. “When sprinters can go for yellow, it often creates chaos. Now there will already be some differences among them.”

Plugge is much more enthusiastic about the final week in the Alps, where the race will climb the Col de Sarenne before finishing on Alpe d’Huez. “Alpe d’Huez is always special, and going up via the Sarenne makes it even harder,” he said. “It’s going to be a brutal stage, but that’s what makes it great.”

Despite his reservations, Plugge was optimistic to Sporza about what the route could mean for his team. “It suits Jonas and gives opportunities to others as well. The time trial and the team element are not a disadvantage for him, and the mountain stages in the final week are perfect for our strengths.”

He also sees potential for Wout van Aert, who made his mark on the 2025 edition. “Wout is such an all-rounder that there are always chances for him in the Tour. I’m glad he gets another opportunity to go for it next summer.”

With the course laid out, Plugge knows the real work begins this winter, finding a way to close the gap to Pogačar.