The team time-trial is back in the Tour de France, but with one major change: real time will count over the 38 kilometre course. Unlike the last team time trials in 2004 and 2005, where time losses were determined by each squad's placing, the time recorded on the line will be the deciding factor.
Montpellier has often hosted the Tour because of its location halfway between the Alps and Pyrenees. In 1930, Charles Pélissier won the fourth of his eight stage victories in the town, a record still standing today. Since then, Montpellier has witnessed many sprints, including those won by Robbie McEwen in 2005 and Robert Hunter in 2007. The start line for the race against the clock will be the magnificent Place de la Comédie.
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