What is the Time Trial?

Bicycle racers in a multi-day event like the Tour DuPont come in many different shapes and sizes. Some of them are sprinters, capable of reaching speeds near 50 miles-per-hour. Others can climb the mountains with the greatest of ease. But one of the most difficult disciplines to master in the sport is the often feared individual time trial, more commonly known as the "race of truth."

A brutal test of determination, the individual time trial requires the riders to race over the same course, one at a time, against a clock. Requiring intense concentration, a rider most focus constantly on the task at hand, from start to finish. A mere blink of an eye could mean the difference between winning and losing.

To be successful in this cruel test of the body's limits, a rider must possess the perfect combination of strength, speed, endurance, form, and mental toughness. Just when a rider feels that he can't go on, he must dig down and go even faster.

In this age of sports science, a crucial aspect of time trialing excellence is the riders form. Much like a downhill ski racer, a complementary mix of aerodynamics and strength breed success. A tuck position that allows the rider to power through each pedal stroke at a very high cadence is the goal of good form.

Because this type of racing is so crucial to success in a stage race, and because the times posted are often so close, technological advancements in the sport of cycling usually begin with the time trial in mind. Riders are allowed to use very specialized equipment in a time trial. The disk wheel, triathalon handlebars, and space age style helmets are all advancements that were born out of the mold of time trialing. Riders often have separate bikes, called "funny bikes" for their odd appearance, that are only used in time trial events.

The time trial is often the determining factor in stage racing. If a rider can't compete in the race against the clock, then he has little hope of winning the overall title.