The biggest race on the cycling calendar can pose plenty of headaches for team mechanics.

Last year, for example, a cobbled stage meant pavé -busting tech was called in, while this year it was the stage 18 mountain time trial which asked plenty of questions of team mechanics and, of course, riders.

How do you balance the aerodynamics needed for an individual time trial, with the low weight and comfort which could help deliver faster results uphill? Should you go for a full TT setup, stick with a road bike, or try and strike a balance between the two? Wear a time trial helmet, aero road helmet, or a regular road lid?

And those were questions which produced plenty of different answers on stage 18 as Chris Froome (using a full Pinarello Bolide TT setup, for the record) won the stage and put time into his rivals overall.

Let’s take a look at some of the solutions the WorldTour’s finest opted for in the gallery below.