Emma MacKie at finish of Team Time Trial

Team TIBCO Takes 5th Place in Race Against the Clock

Another time trial today just like day-one, except in this installment, the entire team takes off at once. And, just like on day-one we had the wind to deal with. Today’s stage is 34-kilometers (21-miles) beginning and finishing in the hillside village of Clermont-l’Hérault.
Directeur Sportif, Chris Georgas described today’s stage:

“Team TIBCO finished an extremely respectable 5th in the team time trial today, behind Cervelo, Nederland Bloet and HTC-Columbia – the three top teams in the World in this discipline. The race again went according to plan, the objective being to ensure that our top climbers did as well as possible for the General Classification before we go to the big mountain stages.

“Everyone put in maximum effort. Emma and Brooke gave as much as they could in spite of the enormous expenditure of energy used in yesterday’s huge 80-kilometer breakaway. Amanda hung in for most of the race and contributed everything she had as well.

“In the end, it was finally Ruth, Jo and Rebecca who hammered into the finish to give the team its 5th place finish. It was an exciting technical course with 40 mile an hour side and head winds for much of the circuit.

“I was extremely happy with how the team raced today – great discipline and maximum effort worthy of their high level of natural talent.”

Emma Mackie had this to add about todays plan:
“Our strategy? Go as hard as you can for as long as you can.” Translation: Although all six teem members start together in today’s team time trial, the clock is stopped on the third team member to cross the line–so everyone pulls together.”