Editing Individual time trial (section)

==Professional==
[[File:GregLeMond.1989 Tour de France st 21.TT-crop (2).jpg|thumb|left|[[Greg LeMond]] holding low-profile 'bullhorn' handlebars, with tri-bars in between his arms, at the [[1989 Tour de France]]]]
Bicycle construction is limited by regulations covering dimensions and other features such as weight. [http://www.uci.ch/inside-uci/rules-and-regulations/regulations/ UCI Regulations]
At the professional level, time trials (TTs) are frequently accompanied by [[motorcycle]]s, some carrying video equipment or race officials, and riders may be followed by a team car carrying coaches and spare parts, but the cyclists are not permitted to draft behind the vehicles. Race regulations typically dictate a minimum distance behind the cyclist which the car must maintain and a minimum gap that must exist between two cyclists before the car may enter that gap.

Individual time trials are often used as stages in stage races such as the [[Grand Tour (cycling)|Grand Tour]]s; these vary from short prologue time trials over no more than eight kilometres<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.uci.ch/includes/asp/getTarget.asp?type=FILE&id=34028 |page=40 |publication-date=1 February 2012 |title=UCI Cycling Regulations, Part II: Road Races |publisher=[[Union Cycliste Internationale|UCI]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110623174023/http://www.uci.ch/Modules/BUILTIN/getObject.asp?MenuId=MTkzNg&ObjTypeCode=FILE&type=FILE&id=34028&LangId=1 |archive-date=23 June 2011 }}</ref> (designed to create an attacking racing style earlier in the race) <ref>Cossins, Peter; Best, Isabel; Sidwells, Chris; Griffith, Clare (2013). Le Tour 100: The definitive history of the world's greatest race. London: Octopus Publishing Group Limited. {{ISBN|978-1-84403-723-0}}.</ref> to longer distance events over flat or rolling courses, to timed ascents of mountain roads (mountain time trial).<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kennedy |first1=Martha J. |last2=Kloser |first2=Michael |last3=Samer |first3=Paul Yuri |title=Fat Tire Rider: Everyone's Guide to Mountain Biking |date=1993 |publisher=Vitesse Press |isbn=978-0-941950-29-9 |page=203 }}</ref> In the 1989 edition of the [[Tour de France]], eventual winner [[Greg LeMond]] made up a 50-second deficit to runner-up [[Laurent Fignon]] over 24.5&nbsp;km during the individual time trial on the final stage to win the race by 8 seconds, the smallest margin ever.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Timms |first1=Joe |title=THE CLOSEST WINNING MARGINS IN TOUR DE FRANCE HISTORY |url=https://www.rouleur.cc/blogs/the-rouleur-journal/the-closest-edition-of-the-tour-de-france |website=Rouler |access-date=14 March 2024}}</ref> The [[Vuelta a España]] often features a final individual time trial in Madrid in which the winner is often decided, providing much drama and excitement at the end of the stage race.{{citation needed|date=May 2019}} In recent years, [[Óscar Sevilla]] and [[Roberto Heras]] have seen their lead evaporate in the time trial in Madrid.{{citation needed|date=May 2019}}

The ''[[Grand Prix des Nations]]'' was a semi-[[Classic cycle races|Classic]] event; professionals may also compete in the annual [[UCI World Championships|World time trial championship]].{{citation needed|date=May 2019}}  The individual time trial is also an [[Olympic Games|Olympic]] event in which professionals are allowed to participate.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Grasso |first1=John |last2=Mallon |first2=Bill |last3=Heijmans |first3=Jeroen |title=Historical Dictionary of the Olympic Movement |date=14 May 2015 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-1-4422-4860-1 |page=581 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uCN1CQAAQBAJ&pg=PA581 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Heijmans |first1=Jeroen |last2=Mallon |first2=Bill |title=Historical Dictionary of Cycling |date=16 October 2011 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=978-0-8108-7175-5 |page=195 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZdXCmwpk-SAC&dq=%22individual+time+trial%22+%22olympics%22&pg=PA195 |language=en}}</ref>

Many of the top stage racers have also been top performers in the individual time trial, such as [[Lance Armstrong]], [[Eddy Merckx]], [[Alfredo Binda]], [[Jacques Anquetil]], [[Bernard Hinault]], [[Fausto Coppi]], [[Laurent Fignon]], [[Greg LeMond]], [[Miguel Indurain]], [[Jan Ullrich]], [[Ivan Basso]], [[Alberto Contador]], [[Cadel Evans]], [[Fabian Cancellara]], [[Tom Dumoulin]], [[Bradley Wiggins]] and [[Tadej Pogačar]].{{citation needed|date=May 2019}}  Most recent winners of the [[Tour de France]] have been good time-trialists; exceptions include [[Marco Pantani]], [[Carlos Sastre]], and [[Andy Schleck]], who were [[climbing specialist]]s.{{citation needed|date=May 2019}}