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Bernard Hinault after the 1985 Giro team time trial. He would go onto win the race overall (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Mark Cavendish is all smiles and all all pink at the 2009 Giro (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The 2007 Giro started in Sardinia (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
T-Mobile on their way around Sardinia in 2007 (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Crédit Agricole circa 2007 (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Benoît Joachim gets left behind by his Astana teamamtes (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Astana were second in the 2007 team time trial (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Liquigas won the 2007 Giro team time trial (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Captain America back in 2007 with CSC (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Team CSC had a few national and world champions in 2007 (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Fabian Cancellara in the world champions jersey (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Danilo di Luca enjoying the 2007 Champagne (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
CSC enjoying Sardinia in 2007 (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Rabobank during the 2007 Giro team time trial (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Alfa Lum-Ecoflam in 1988 (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Maurizio Fondriest with his Del Tongo team in 1989 (Image credit: Sirotti)
Laurent Fignon leads his Système U team over the line at the 1989 Giro and would go on to win the overall (Image credit: Sirotti)
Ariostea celebrate victory in the team time trial at the 1989 Giro (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
7-Eleven during the 1988 Giro team time trial (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Team time trialling with Fibok - Sidermec - Muller in 1987 (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Stephan Roche celebrates in the maglia rosa after the 1987 Giro team time trial (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Gis Gelati-Trentino Vacanze during the Giro's 1985 team time trial (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
FDJ in 2007 (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Del Tongo won the 1988 Giro team time trial (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Enrico Gasparotto in the first maglia rosa of 2007 (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Team Colombia on the way to claiming the 2009 TTT (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Team Slipstream with several national champions on their way to claiming the 2008 TTT (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The 2008 incarnation of Androni Giocattoli (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Quick-Step at the 2008 Giro (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
LPR Brakes with 2008 Giro champion Danilo Di Luca in the maglia rosa (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Chris Anker Sørensen in the maglia bianca (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Chris Anker Sørensen in the maglia bianca (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Team Slipstream celebrate TTT victory (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Team High Road had Bradley Wiggins in its team for the 2008 Giro (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Christian Vande Velde gets a ride from his teammates (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Team Slipstream with Dave Zabriskie's 'tash setting the pace (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Garmin - Transitions during the Giro's 2010 TTT (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Alexander Vinokourov in pink and the Astana team during the 2010 Giro (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Team Astana make through way around the 2008 Giro TTT course (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Saunier Duval going full throttle at the 2008 Giro d'Italia (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Euskaltel Euskadi at the 2008 Giro (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Marco Pinotti wore the first maglia rosa of the 2011 Giro which celebrated the 150th anniversary of Italy (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Team Sky during the 2011 Giro TTT (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Australian champion Cam Meyer leads the Garmin-Cervelo time in 2011 (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
RadioShack cross the line on stage one of the 2011 Giro (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Leopard Trek during the 2011 TTT in Turin (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Rabobank were seventh on the opnening TTT of the 2011 Giro (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
A plethora of maglia rosas on stage (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Marco Pinotti in the first maglia rosa of 2011 (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Team BMC (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
HTC-Highroad's Marco Pinotti in pink (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Adam Hansen and Team High Road at the 2008 Giro (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Remember Barloworld? (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Team Sky in its debut grand tour (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Quick-Step during the 2010 Giro TTT (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
A first of many maglia rosas for Vincenzo Nibali back in2010 (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Vincenzo Nibali became the maglia rosa after Liquigas-Doimo won the 2010 TTT (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Liquigas-Doimo celebrate victory (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Saxobank-Sungard during the Turin TTT (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Christian Vande Velde enjoying a 2008 champagne (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Almost vintage now, Serhiy Honchar sprays the 2006 Champagne around like its beaujolais (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Phonak during the Giro TTT back in 2006 (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
T-Mobile during the 2006 Giro TTT (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Davitamon-Lotto looking for the TTT win at the 2006 Giro (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
CSC celebrate its 2006 Giro success (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Then ITT world champion Michael Rogers with T-Mobile in 2006 (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
CSC's 2006 Giro TTT win saw Serhiy Honchar claim pink (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Stefan Schumacher in pink during the Giro's 2006 TTT (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Credit Agricole on course during the 2006 Giro TTT (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Cofidis during the 2006 TTT (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
CSC won the Giro's 2006 team time trial (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
CSC on the podium back in 2006 (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Team Colombia on the podium after claiming the 2009 Giro TTT (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Marrk Cavendish with the 2009 Giro in the maglia rosa (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Australian national champion Mick Rogers (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Edvald Boasson Hagen in his Norweigan Colombia kit (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Back when Colombia dominated time trials and sprints (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Astana and Armstrong at the 2009 Giro (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The 2009 Giro d'Italia trophy on display (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Ignatas Konovalovas and Cervelo at the 2009 Giro (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Fabian Cancellara in his Swiss national time trial kit during the 2009 Giro (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Captain America, Dave Zabriskie, on the front for Garmin at the 2009 Giro (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Pippo Pozzato (Katusha) driving the pace in 2009 (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
CSC won the 2006 Giro TTT (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Team Sky on the way to victory (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Mark Cavendish in the Omega Pharma - Quick Step team (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Salvatore Puccio (Sky) on the podium (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
On the startline with Mark Cavendish and Omega Pharma QuickStep (Image credit: Sirotti)
Euskaltel fell apart in the time trial (Image credit: Sirotti)
Team Sky won stage 2 of the Giro d'Italia (Image credit: Sirotti)
Team Sky on the podium after the team time trial (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Garmin-Barracude went so fast one of its riders tongues was hanging out. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Ramunas Navardauskas (Garmin - Barracuda) in the Giro lead (Image credit: Sirotti)
Garmin-Barracuda powers toward victory (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Taylor Phinney (BMC) lost his overall lead (Image credit: Sirotti)
Taylor Phinney (BMC) picks the grass out of his drivetrain (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The UCI were out in force checking bikes at the start (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Omega-Pharma Lotto were the first team to race in this year's Giro d'Italia (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The teams in start order (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Turin was the setting for the start of the 2011 Giro d'Italia (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Marco Pinotti leads his HTC-Highroad teammates (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) gestures as he cross the finish line. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The Liquigas-Doimo team speeds to a Giro d'Italia stage win. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Team Sky racers were soaked through during the rainy stage four Giro d'Italia team time trial. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Race leader Alexandre Vinokourov at the front of his Astana Team during the team time trial. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The Liquigas-Doimo team raced under threatening skies, that dumped rain much of the day. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Julian Dean (Garmin-Slipstream) already in his time trial tuck.
Fabian Cancellara sets the pace for Team Saxo Bank.
David Zabriskie's (Garmin-Slipstream) USA national time trial bike.
Franco Ballerini rides the time trial stage. (Image credit: Sirotti)
Cycling legend Francesco Moser previews the course. (Image credit: Sirotti)
American time trial champion David Zabriskie was the first to cross the line for Garmin - Slipstream. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
With this year's Giro d'Italia beginning with a team time trial, Cyclingnews has gone through the archives of the last 30 years to present a gallery of past races against the clock.
There was a lack of team time trials in early-to-mid 2000's although in recent years, it has made a comeback with Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma-Quick Step), Marco Pinotti (HTC-Highroad) and Salvatore Pucci (Team Sky) all enjoying a stint in the maglia rosa after a team time trial. Last year it was Team Sky who won the TTT on the island of Ischia.
The TTT is 21.7km in length and starts at in the shadow of the "Titanic Belfast" centre with the finishing straight of the course out the front of the Belfast City Hall.
Click here to see the gallery.
Check out the video about this year's Giro contenders and click here to subscribe to the Cyclingnews YouTube channel.
