Stef Clement’s (Team Blanco) Giant Trinity Advanced SL propped up after being put on the UCI commissaires’ rig (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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The new Orbea Ordu TT bike, which was four years in development and released in 2013, is Euskaltel-Euskadi’s new time trial bike (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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There’s a sharp kink two thirds of the way down the seatstays and the chainstays on the Ordu (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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Selle Italia’s Monolink SLR Friction Free saddle almost set right back (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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How close does the derailleur run in the lowest gear? It touches, if those circular marks are anything to go by (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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Shimano Di2 Dura-Ace bar end shifters looking incredibly neat (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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Vision TriMax extensions – and a Polar watch (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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Astana’s Specialized Shiv (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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Machined clamp for the Campagnolo EPS brainbox held just behind the saddle on Astana’s bikes (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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Tom Danielson (Garmin-Sharp) wheeling his Cervelo P5 to the commissaires for its final check (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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Garmin-Sharp preparing for the off (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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BMC Racing's TM01 Timemachine complete with SRM Shimano Dura-Ace crank (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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Androni Giocattoli was using an Elite time trial bottle and cage (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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Colombia’s Wilier Twin Blade TT frames carry mini V-brakes integrated into the back of the fork (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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Not all the kit was top of the range: Colombia made do with mechanical Shimano Ultegra (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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Blue and orange brakes sheltered behind the fork hark back to the Blanco team’s origin as Rabobank last year (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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The Trinity’s integrated steering assembly combined with electronic gearing means cabling at the front of the bike is totally eliminated (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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The seat tube has a subtle curve away from the wheel where it joins the seatstays (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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Blanco have established themselves as a team that hunt every advantage, and their riders wore ice jackets to keep them cool just before the start of the 2013 TTT (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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This is probably that last Grand Tour in which many of Lotto-Belisol’s riders will use the Ridley Dean in time trials – a new model is expected before the Tour de France (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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Bora Ultra TT rear discs are a choice for many of the Campagnolo-sponsored teams (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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It’s one year since the Canyon Speedmax CF Evo was launched at the Giro. Here, a Katusha rider inspects his rear tyre for shards just ahead of the start (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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The Speedmax CF Evo’s cockpit can be set up in more than 2,000 different ways, according to Canyon, but is only compatible with Shimano Di2 shifters (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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The tubes on the Speedmax have an aerofoil shape that tapers sharply after air has passed over the lead edge (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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Naero-Tec brakes on the Cannondale Slice RS are cable-operated integrated V-brakes (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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The Pinarello Bolide Team Sky prepared for the race was put to one side as Wiggins opted to ride his backup Graal (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
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An Omega Pharma-QuickStep rider giving his Specialized Shiv to commissaires (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
And while the British outfit took top honours, a number of teams who are usually powerful TTT performers, including Garmin-Sharp, BMC Racing and Cannondale, were off the pace. It means the pink jersey was passed from Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) to Team Sky’s second year pro Salvatore Puccio.
As the riders prepared for the 17.4km race on the island of Ischia, with its winding roads, BikeRadar were in the start pen to watch them make last-minute changes and checks to their bikes. The area was bustling with activity as mechanics swapped wheels, checked tyres for bits of flint and gave out water bottles. Check out our image gallery, right, to get a sense of the action.
At the final moment, Bradley Wiggins opted not to ride the special, brand new Pinarello Bolide because of a minor problem. The hiccup didn't interrupt the team's concentration and they flashed around the technical course as a well-drilled unit. Wiggins is now expected to give the Bolide its first outing on stage 8, the 54.8km individual time trial from Gabicce Mare to Saltara.
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Sam started as a trainee reporter on daily newspapers in the UK before moving to South Africa where he contributed to national cycling magazine Ride for three years. After moving back to the UK he joined Procycling as a staff writer in November 2010.
