A look at the wind cheating technology on display ahead of the stage
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Each rider has a dedicated team car following them, marked with their name ahead of the start(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
The race organisation attaches the rider's name to the delegated team car on the start line(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
A look at the Bahrain-Merida time trial bike line-up(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
A few of the Cannondale-Drapac riders were equipped with CeramicSpeed rear derailleurs and chains coated with performance lubricant(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Cannondale-Drapc's bikes prepared for the warm-up(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Davide Formolo rode the stage on the new Cannondale Super Slice(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Cannondale-Drapac have had a handful of riders on the Super Slice disc at time trials throughout the season(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Ignatas Konovalovas is the Lithuanian national time trial champion(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Thomas De Gendt has enjoyed a few days in the leader's jersey and will take home some gifts for his children(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Of course the Delko Marseille Provence KTM team were equipped with KTM's famous gold chains(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Delko Marseille Provence's KTM Team TT time trial bikes(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Each bike was inspected by the UCI ahead of the stage(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Peter Kennaugh's Fizik saddle had some grippy rubber glued to his saddle to stay in the optimum position during the time trial(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Nearly all of the Team Sky riders had K-Edge computer mounts attached to their handlebar extensions(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Peter Kennaugh also ran the 58T chainrings(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Most of the Team Sky riders had no handlebar tape, opting just for grip tape(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Team Sky riders each had a Wahoo Kickr setup for their warm-ups(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
A Quick-Step mechanic works on Enrico Mas' Specialied Shiv, another bike to feature the 58T chainrings(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Team Sunweb have a few wheels to choose from(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
A look at the Campagnolo Bora Ultra 80 rear wheel(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Pro Continental team Wanty-Groupe Gobert use Cube C68 as their TT offering(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
A mechanic prepares Alberto Contador's bike ahead of the stage start(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
The Factor Slick has a split down tube, which Factor claims allows air to flow through, as well as around the bike for reduced drag(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
The UFO chain receives a special treatment, which offers reduced friction(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Romain Bardet appeared to be running the CeramicSpeed UFO chain(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Alberto Contador's primary bike ran a de-stickered Shimano PRO Textreme 3-Spoke front wheel(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Both of Alberto Contador's bikes were equipped with Lightweight Autobahn rear wheels(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
It appeared Trek-Segafredo stickered up a Lightweight Autobahn wheel with Bontrager branding(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Froome ran 22mm tubular tyres in spite of Shimano's minimum tyre width safety restriction of 24mm and the wheel failure at Tirreno-Adriatico(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Froome's marginal gains extended to his computer with the aerodynamic Wahoo Elemnt Bolt(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Ian Stannard was all smiles ahead of the stage start but pulled out of the race following the time trial due to illness(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
A closer look at the KTM TT offering(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Wanty-Groupe Gobert mechanics double check handlebar setups for their riders(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Trek-Segafredo riders warm-up in the shade ahead of the start in a sunny La Tour-Du-Pin(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Orica-Scott usually run Shimano wheels and paired the Lightweight Autobahn rear wheels with PRO 3-Spoke Textreme front wheels(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
The entire Orica-Scott team ran, what appear to be, Lightweight Autobahn rear wheels(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Bora-Hansgrohe ran a mix of Shimano and Roval wheels(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
All of the Specialized Shiv framesets have a flat top tube, excluding the XS frame size, which features a kick at the head of the top tube(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Nicolas Roche prepares his bike ahead of a course recce(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
LottoNL-Jumbo paired the chainrings with Aerozine titanium crank bolts(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Several riders across various teams were running 58T specially produced chainrings(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Many saddles were set forward to the maximum limits(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
As with the Team Sunweb road bikes, Giant produce in house finishing kits and components(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Giant's time trial offering is the Trinity Advanced(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Team Sunweb's Chad Haga rode to an impressive 5th place on the stage(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Even the brake pad holders are carbon(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
A few Cofidis riders ran Vision TriMax aero brakes(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
A choice Vision Metron wheels available for the French Pro Continental outfit(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Cofidis appeared to use TruRig OmegaX direct mount brakes with some of the aero covers removed(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
The trusty Garmin 500 still being used in WorldTour events(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
The Orbea Ordu features less aero integration than some of the other TT bikes on display(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Team Cofidis rode Orbea Ordus for the time trial(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
The brake covers improve aerodynamics and have to be removed for setup and maintenance(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
The Aerostorm has removable brake covers to reduce air turbulance over the brake callipers(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
The Lapierre Aerostorm features 'Drag Reduction System' and there isn't a round profiled tube in sight(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
55T outer chainrings were some of the smaller chainrings on display for the fairly flat course(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Fourth place for Stef Clement on the stage(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Young American Alexey Vermeulen adds some customisation to his computer(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Thomas De Gendt and Tony Gallopin opt for HED H3 front wheels over the team's Campagnolo Bora offerings(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Alberto Contador's Trek Emonda SLR Team Issue Race Shop Limited(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Concave downtubes and wide seat stays are common features across nearly all of the TT bikes on show(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Valverde went for a handlebar tape and grip tape combination on his bar extensions(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Alejandro Valverde was the only Movistar rider not to run a Campagnolo front wheel and opted for a HED H3(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Nicolas Roche was another rider on the 58T custom chain rings(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Nicolas Roche's BMC Timemachine01(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
The aero Mavic Comete front wheels were first seen at Scheldeprijs earlier this season(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
The Factor Slicks are paired with Mavic Comete wheels(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
AG2R La Mondiale's Factor Slick time trial bikes(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Shimano Dura-Ace 7800 series pedals still getting used in the WorldTour(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Boasson Hagen had a PRO saddle with the branding blacked out with a marker pen(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
The bike is also equipped with a ROTOR chain catcher(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Edvald Boasson Hagen's spare bike runs a Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset to save costs(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Edvald Boasson Hagen's spare bike is an off the shelf frameset(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Jay Thomson still has an MTN-Qhubeka frameset as a spare bike(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
The oversized seat cluster on the Cervelo P5 adds both aerodynamic benefits and stiffness(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Scott Thwaites' Cervelo P5 with a HED Jet and ENVE wheel combination(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
FDJ are equipped with Lapierre Aerostorm TT bikes(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
The Criterium du Dauphine stage 4 time trial offered one of the final opportunities for the GC protagonists to test themselves ahead of the crucial time trials in next month's Tour de France. The 2017 Tour de France has nearly 40km of individual time trials over two stages, and with only five summit finishes in the entire race, are likely to prove crucial for the overall victory.
Individual time trial world champion, Tony Martin, was the favourite for the stage ahead of the start, but following a sensational performance from Richie Porte he had to settle for second place on the day.
The road stages of the Criterium du Dauphine have seen no less than four new framesets on display this year. Whilst the new Cannondale Super Slice and BMC Timemachine were raced during the stage for Cannondale-Drapac and BMC Racing respectively, both framesets have been seen at various time trials throughout the 2017 season.
Fabio Felline (Trek-Segafredo) took a surprise victory at the Tour de Romandie prologue in April. Notably, the Italian opted to run a Lightweight Autobahn rear wheel as opposed to the offerings from team partner Bontrager. Alberto Contador continued this trend, with both his race bike and spare bike equipped with the German carbon specialists rear wheels. Atop of the Trek-Segafredo team car appeared to be another spare Lightweight Autobahn wheel, albeit featuring Bontrager stickers to perhaps conceal its true identity.
Alberto Contador also opted to run a Shimano PRO Textreme 3-Spoke front wheel, which had had its decals remove to further save Bontragers blushes.
Following the Lightweight trend, Orica-Scott had the entire team equipped with the same Lightweight Autobahn rear wheels, a recognition of the wheel's performance.
Following the dramatic wheel failure of the PRO Textreme 3-Spoke front wheel during the opening team time trial at Tirreno-Adriatico in March, Shimano released a statement claiming Team Sky ran tyre widths less than the minimum safety restriction of 24mm. This decision likely caused the wheel failure at the Italian stage race, which thankfully did not cause any major injuries.
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Shimano's subsequent statement and safety warning does not seem to have deterred Team Sky from running narrower tyres for time trials however, with Chris Froome running a 22mm Continental tubular tyre on the wheel.
Chris Froome's famous marginal gains didn't stop there. The three-time Tour de France champion was also equipped with an aerodynamic Wahoo Elemnt Bolt computer, the first cycling computer to feature prominent aerodynamic properties.
A relatively flat course invited large gearing for the 23.5km time trial. Many riders appeared to be running 58 tooth non-consumer Shimano 9000 series chain rings, whilst Chris Froome ran his famous oval chainrings in a 58/46T combination.
Cannondale-Drapac have featured their new Super Slice time trial bike at nearly every TT event so far this season, notably available in both calliper and disc brake options.
Click or swipe through the extensive gallery above to see what was on show for the Criterium du Dauphine stage 4 time trial.
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