Netcompany INEOS suffer a stroke of bad luck in the Tour de France team time trial: 'What goes around, comes around'
CyclingSaturday, 04 July 2026 at 21:30
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Follow us on GoogleNetcompany INEOS was widely regarded as the top favorite for the team time trial in the Tour de France. The British team held the fastest time for a long time, but in the end, Visma | Lease a Bike, with Jonas Vingegaard, managed to pull off the win. Team leader Daryl Impey spoke with IDL Pro Cycling at the team bus about how they were feeling.
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So Netcompany INEOS was in the hot seat for quite some time after Filippo Ganna posted a blistering time. Yet the team was already left with a bittersweet feeling, knowing that Kévin Vauquelin had actually been designated as their man for Montjuic. However, the Frenchman suffered a flat tire five kilometers from the finish and was thus unable to contribute.
"We knew it was going to be tough. We had some really bad luck today with Kevin's flat tire and... well, when Plan A falls through, everything suddenly goes differently," Impey sighs. “But I think the guys rode really well; they adapted to the situation incredibly well.”
"In the end, we still had a great ride. You can tell from everything that we worked really hard for this, so of course it’s also a disappointment," said the South African, who would have loved nothing more than to have won the yellow jersey with his teammates.
"The goal was definitely to go for it with Kévin. So, well, today was just a bit of bad luck. We had some setbacks in the Dauphiné, too, so... oh well, our luck will turn around eventually. What goes around comes around— that’s just how it works. So it’ll all work out,” Impey says, staying optimistic.
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Arensman finishes 53 seconds behind
In the end, Ganna and Foss remained the main driving forces, while climbers like Thymen Arensman—who finished 53 seconds behind Ganna—and Egan Bernal had already had their turns earlier on. So they, too, aren’t going for the general classification right from the start of the Tour. “We’re just taking it day by day, you know. Like I said: we’re here to seize opportunities as they arise.”
"Today was just a one-day race for us. Bad luck is part of the game; we're already looking ahead to tomorrow," Impey concludes. "We still have twenty days to go!"
Unlucky Vauquelin is fed up
Vauquelin himself gave a brief response to Cyclism'Actu. "My legs felt pretty good, but they were inevitably affected by frustration. We rode really hard, we posted a great time—I hope the team can hold on to it; that's just how it goes in cycling."
"Ganna was very strong, but he had already wasted a lot of energy. The plan was for me not to ride, so I could tackle the final climb, which suited me very well. Because of that, we lost seconds. It’s a shame, but there’s nothing we can do about it. There will be even more frustration tonight; I haven’t quite come to terms with it yet,” sighs the Frenchman, who will get another chance on Montjuic on Sunday.
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Tom van der Salm (27) comes from the charming town of Zeilberg (Deurne) in the Netherlands and has been working as editor-in-chief & journalist at IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, In de Leiderstrui, since 2019. He travels with the peloton from the Tour de France to the AlUla Tour and from the World Championships in Rwanda or Canada to the Zilvermeercross in Mol. In his spare time he enjoys playing football, mountain biking, running, walking with his Labrador/Stabyhoun, investing, holidays, (specialty) beers, reading, cooking and watching sports & documentaries!
Contact: [email protected]
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Latest Comments
- - Remco’s radio comment about trying to keep Florian with him was class. Shows he’s bought into the co‑leader plan, even if the legs said otherwise at the end. Vamos, more of this!bikebuffj04-07-2026
- - Honestly thought Red Bull‑BORA‑hansgrohe would be closer than 19 seconds to Vingegaard’s lot. If you’re eyeing the podium, you can’t spot Visma time like that on a TTT. Good, not great.julien04-07-2026
- - “Remco 1 – Lipo 0” is a bit cheeky but fair. Lipowitz was dangling before the kicker, you could see he was at his limit. Early doors though—GC won’t be decided on a 900m climb in Stagepatriciaw04-07-2026
- - Question: if it’s a team time trial, how can one rider finish solo and still count? Does his time apply to the whole team or just him at that point?raceready704-07-2026
- - Remco looked mega sharp today. That last 900m ramp in Barca was tailor‑made for him to squeeze out a gap, and 16s on Lipo this early says a lot. Fifth on the stage vs Visma isn’t a disaster either.lindae04-07-2026
- - ¿Alguien sabe si la caída de ritmo fue solo por la rueda de Skjelmose o también por el viento cruzado al final? Pareció cambiar.cyclechamp4504-07-2026
- - Pog only 11s back after a TTT that suited Visma more? That’s ominous for the mountains. Ayuso sitting fourth is perfect—out of the spotlight but right there.sprocketspiny04-07-2026
- - “We would have preferred yellow” — love the ambition. But did Lidl–Trek actually have the raw speed to beat Visma without the flat? I’m not fully convinced.patriciaw04-07-2026
- - Visma, INEOS, UAE all looked drilled, but Lidl–Trek’s pacing on the overpasses was textbook. They bled less time than expected once down to five. Could be huge later in the first week.cadencekingm04-07-2026
- - Sorry, what does the white jersey actually represent here? And does a team time trial time count the same for all riders in that team?gearguru3304-07-2026
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