Coming to America

Perhaps the greatest spectacle in professional cycling is the team time trial (TTT). Don't get me wrong, as I still believe that nothing can really touch the drama of riders battling in the high mountains. But for sheer exhilaration, teamwork, and speed, a TTT is something to behold.

Over the years, we've seen powerhouses like US Postal Service or ONCE in single or double paceline formation or even in a mini echelon cruising down the roadways in a Grand Tour. [Is it any wonder where US Postal got the nickname the "Big Blue Train," or why the US Postal/Discovery Channel URL for their site is thepaceline.com?] But lately, this type of team competition has been absent from the biggest races, instead finding a niche as a specialized race such as the Eindhoven Team Time Trial.

Well, the often seen discipline in Europe was offered up yesterday during the first stage of the Tour de 'Toona in Altoona, PA.

Our friends over at Toyota-United looked spectacular as they came in second to Health-Net presented by Maxxis over the 10.6 mile course.

Photos: Kurt Jambretz

From Sean Weide (Toyota-United's Communication Director):

"Health Net averaged 29.7 mph to finish in 21 minutes and 25 seconds. Toyota-United was 11 seconds slower while the Navigators Insurance Cycling Team finished third, 18 seconds behind the winner. Of the top 10 teams, only Toyota-United and the BMC Professional Cycling Team came to the finish line with
their entire squads intact...

Nathan O’Neil (Health Net) holds down the overall lead, followed by four of his teammates. Toyota-United was led across the line by Chris Baldwin, who sits in sixth place overall. Teammates Heath Blackgrove, Bobby Lea, Justin England, Chris Wherry, Burke Swindlehurst, Ivan Dominguez and Caleb Manion hold down seventh through 13th place overall, respectively."

I, for one, hope we see more TTT incorporated into tour road races in the US.