Stage 2 | Brussels – Brussels | Tour de France 2019

The Tour de France is still in Brussels, with the start and finish in the same places as they were on Saturday, although a very different test stood in front of the riders. The team time trial took the race through the birthplaces of two of Belgium’s finest figures – Woluwe St Pierre, where five-time Tour winner Eddy Merckx was born – and then Schaerbeek, where Jacques Brel was born.

Richard Moore, Lionel Birnie and François Thomazeau cross the border into Flanders to reflect on a convincing win for Jumbo-Visma, which extends Mike Teunissen’s stay in the yellow jersey.

Team Ineos set the early pace and their time survived until the last when the Dutch outfit smashed it. Before that Deceuninck-Quick Step came within less than a second of Ineos’s time and behind them were a clutch of teams within a few seconds.

We assess the winners and losers and ask whether the team time trial is really an indicator of who can win the Tour. We also hear from George Bennett and Richard Plugge, a rider and boss of the winning team, Dirk De Mol, sports director of one of the day’s surprise teams, Katusha, and Jakob Fuglsang, who limited his losses after yesterday’s crash. Plus there’s reaction from Mitchelton-Scott’s Daryl Impey and Team Ineos’s Nicolas Portal.

Finally we hear about François’s dish of eels in a herby green sauce and another installment of Outside the Team Bus.

The Cycling Podcast is supported by Rapha and Science In Sport.

Austin Cycles Competition

The Cycling Podcast has teamed up with Austin Cycles for a special competition during the 2019 Tour de France. We are giving The Cycling Podcast Newsletter subscribers an exclusive opportunity to win a Austin Cycles AC ATTO folding carbon bike worth £2,750! Subscribe to our mailing list >>

Science in Sport

Science in Sport are offering you the chance to experience a stage at La Vuelta or Tour of Britain from inside the Team INEOS support car. Prize Includes 2 x night's accommodation, transport & £400 spending money! 5 runners up will win a signed Team INEOS Jersey. Enter the competition >>

Wattbike

Our Tour de France stage two coverage is sponsored by Wattbike. If you live in the UK you can get a £100 Sigma Sport voucher with every Wattbike Atom purchased before July 31. Go to www.wattbike.com/TCP100 and use the code TCP100.