Editing Individual time trial (section)

{{Short description|Road bicycle race time trial for an individual}}
[[File:Vuelta espana 2022 CRI Elche Alicante-185 - 52325836623.jpg|thumb|[[Primož Roglič]] riding a [[time trial bicycle]] in the [[2022 Vuelta a España]]]]

An '''individual time trial''' ('''ITT''') is a [[Road bicycle racing|road bicycle race]] in which [[cycling|cyclists]] race alone against the clock (in French: ''contre la montre'' – literally "against the watch", in Italian: ''tappa a cronometro'' "[[stopwatch]] stage"). There are also [[track time trial|track-based time trial]]s where riders compete in [[velodrome]]s, and [[team time trial]]s (TTT). ITTs are also referred to as "the race of truth", as winning depends only on each rider's strength and endurance, and not on help provided by teammates and others riding ahead and creating a [[slipstream]]. Individual time trials are usually held on flat or rolling terrain, although sometimes they are held  up a mountain road (in Italian: ''cronoscalata'' "chrono climbing"). Sometimes the opening stage of a [[stage race]] is a very short individual time trial called a '''prologue''' (8 km or less for men, 4 km or less for women and juniors).

Starting times are at equal intervals, usually one or two minutes apart. The starting sequence is usually based on the finishing times in preceding races (or preceding stages in the case of a multi-stage race) with the highest ranked cyclist starting last. Starting later gives the racer the advantage of knowing what time they need to beat (and also makes the event more interesting to spectators). Competitors are not permitted to [[drafting (racing)|draft]] (ride in the slipstream) behind each other. Any help between riders is forbidden. The rider with the fastest time is declared the winner.