The 77th Vuelta a España, the final Grand Tour of the season, got underway on Friday, with Jumbo-Visma the fastest in the Spanish race’s first team time trial since 2019. The Vuelta had eight straight team time trials from 2010 to 2017. Friday’s kickoff in Utrecht, the Netherlands, meant that all three 2022 Grand Tours started in foreign countries. A Dutch rider, Robert Gesink, took the first red jersey for a Dutch team in a Dutch start.
You can watch the 2022 Vuelta a España at FloBikes.
The Course
Friday’s route was pan flat and 23.3 km in length, with the intermediate time taken at the 11 km mark. It was quite technical, with many corners. The teams would start four minutes apart.
Final Grand Tour of the season, #LaVuelta22 gets underway today with a 23.2km flat team time trial starting and finishing in Utrecht.
Our team will leave the start ramp at 19:50 CET. pic.twitter.com/FrCpyNssq8
— Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team (@qst_alphavinyl) August 19, 2022
The purple-clad BH Burgos-BH squad, like Arkea-Samsic only fielding seven riders, was the first to roll in Utrecht. The Spanish wildcard team posted 26:38.
So as not to clash with the leader’s red jersey, wildcard Arkea-Samsic changed to a bright yellow uniform for the Vuelta.
¡VAMOS!#LaVuelta22 pic.twitter.com/VncPSrQq5b
— Team Arkéa Samsic (@Arkea_Samsic) August 19, 2022
Oddly enough, Bahrain-Victorious, a red outfit that changed its kit in the last year’s race, didn’t have a change strip.
👊 Focussed @MikelLandaMeana @lavuelta #RideAsOne #LaVuelta22 pic.twitter.com/bSbigclSOg
— Team Bahrain Victorious (@BHRVictorious) August 19, 2022
Both Astana and Movistar went with a white Vuelta look, which is unfortunate considering how many white teams are in the peloton and how few are blue. The Movistar jersey is printed with Alejandro Valverde’s career win highlights, as this Grand Tour is his swan song.
🤳🚤😄 #RodamosJuntos | @lavuelta | #LaVuelta22 pic.twitter.com/o2cjfJQ7O6
— Movistar Team (@Movistar_Team) August 18, 2022
BikeExchange-Jayco, the ninth team to finish, knocked Groupama-FDJ off the top of the table with a time of 25:11. Winner of the 2018 edition, Simon Yates is the Australian WorldTour team’s GC man.
The final team to launch, Primož Roglič’s Jumbo-Visma, cracked Quick Step-Alpha Vinyl’s best intermediate time. Immediately following this, Ineos knocked…
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