Brandon McNulty follows compatriot Sepp Kuss’ wheeltracks into leader’s jersey at Vuelta a España

For 2024 Vuelta a España stage 1 winner Brandon McNulty, one thing always counts in a bike race, no matter what: if it’s a time trial, he’s extra-motivated, and on Saturday in Lisbon, that inner drive was maybe what mattered the most when it came to conquering the Vuelta’s opening TT and taking his first ever Grand Tour leader’s jersey to boot.

There were only two seconds in it on the results sheet but the UAE Team Emirates racer nonetheless had what it takes to roar home in first place on the 12-kilometre opening TT course, narrowly ahead of the surprise provisional leader Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek) and a key pre-stage favourite, Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike).