The use of road bikes for the individual time trial, as we discussed during the Dubai Tour, is certainly a leveller even if it does remove some of the technological appeal of the race. However, such regulations do make for some interesting tactics being deployed by teams and riders keen to make the ever-more popular marginal gains, and Michael Hepburn and Lars Boom, the top two on stage three, were no different.

Separated by only a second, both deployed interesting tactics ahead of the race – for Boom and his Belkin team-mates it meant more tape atop their handlebars, to help with the aerodynamic positioning in the absence of the time trial extensions. Hepburn’s advantage was even more subtle as he revealed a pre-race secret taught to him by team-mate Mat Hayman, who as a former Team Sky man knows all about marginal gains – his race number pinned from the inside. And having won the stage by a solitary second, perhaps is on to something.

High five to Matty Hayman for convincing me to pin my race number from the inside of my skinnie :)

— Michael Hepburn (@michael_hepburn) February 11, 2014