Mitchelton-Scott pleased with Tour de France team time trial performance as Adam Yates makes up time
Mitchelton-Scott sports director Matt White pleased with good day for the Australian outfit
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- Sign up to our newsletter Newsletter

Adam Yates and his Mitchelton-Scott team-mates recovered some of the time losses they suffered on the opening stage crash with a strong performance on the Tour de France stage three team time trial, finishing fourth on the day, nine seconds behind stage winners BMC.
Sports director Matt White was happy but expected the Australian outfit to be mixing it with the stage contenders.
"It's what we expected, we knew we’d be around the favourites and it's even more pleasing considering the circumstances with a couple of banged up boys in there because obviously its not ideal crashing the night before the team time trial," White said. "But they delivered, they weren’t on their best but they certainly delivered."
>>> BMC Racing win Tour de France team time trial to put Greg Van Avermaet in yellow
The race day conditions out of the course were quite different to the still day that the team reconnoitred the course on Wednesday, whereas the gusty conditions made the course lightning fast at times.
"We did a lap at 12 o’clock today, so we knew the conditions and they weren’t changing any time soon," White added.
"It just made it faster times, it was a big loop so it was whirlwind conditions but a big part of the first half of the course was a tail/tailcross wind."
White spoke to Cycling Weekly before the Tour de France started and claimed that he believed some GC contender teams could lose two to three minutes over the 33.5 kilometre course.
>>> Mitchelton–Scott director explains why Caleb Ewan missed out on Tour de France squad
It may not have quite been two to three minutes, with Dan Martin the biggest loser coming in 1-39 down on BMC's winning time.
But the team made significant gains on a number of Yates' rivals despite White speaking to Cycling Weekly at the team bus before before a number of other results had been confirmed, partly due to the front-loaded team time trial field.
"I’ll be interested to see what time we can take on Bardet and Roglic as I still rate him as an outsider [both AG2R and LottoNL-Jumbo would finish 1-06 down on Mitchelton-Scott's time]," White added.
"I also want to see how much time we take on Nibali [Bahrain-Merida finished 57 seconds behind Michelton-Scott] We took 45 seconds back on Movistar so we are back in line with Valverde and Landa which is a good place to be. We’ll see the final wash up but regardless we’ve had a good day."
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Paul Knott is a fitness and features writer, who has also presented Cycling Weekly videos as well as contributing to the print magazine as well as online articles. In 2020 he published his first book, The Official Tour de France Road Cycling Training Guide (Welbeck), a guide designed to help readers improve their cycling performance via cherrypicking from the strategies adopted by the pros.
-
-
Dan Bigham set to target Victor Campenaerts' Hour Record again
British record holder will aim for 55.090km in Grenchen, Switzerland next Friday
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Crossing countries with the new Garmin Edge 1040 Solar
How Garmin’s new flagship computer held up in CW’s race across Wales
By Cycling Weekly • Published
-
‘He came to me and said Jumbo are struggling’ - Tadej Pogačar seeks alliance with Geraint Thomas
With a depleted team the UAE Emirates leader was looking for allies on stage 14, he didn’t find them at Ineos Grenadiers
By Chris Marshall-Bell • Published
-
Tour de France 2022: Jonas Vingegaard takes yellow jersey from Tadej Pogačar with victory on stage 11
Vingegaard wins epic battle of the favourites taking overall lead in dramatic Alpine showdown
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
‘The main thing is having no regrets’: Geraint Thomas sees opportunities in Tour de France high mountains
‘We’re still in a good place’ says the Welshman on the races’ second rest day
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
Kristen Faulkner takes a stunning solo win at the Giro Donne
Van Vleuten loses time but easily maintains a commanding lead going into Sunday’s final stage
By Owen Rogers • Published
-
Fresh start for Dylan Groenewegen after comeback victory at Tour de France
Team BikeExchange-Jayco rider is at his first Tour de France since serving his nine-month suspension for causing crash
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Kristen Faulkner cools down after making a splash at the Giro Donne
The American headed straight for the sea to after winning the stage and taking the Giro Donne overall lead
By Owen Rogers • Published
-
'I had proper fever and chills' - Adam Yates bounces back from Covid for Tour de France
British rider heads to fifth Tour de France as one of Ineos Grenadiers' leader, but with doubts over form
By Adam Becket • Published
-