Jumbo-Visma set the fastest time in the team time trial on stage 1 of the Vuelta a España and put Dutch rider Robert Gesink into the first red leader’s jersey. Out to earn a fourth Vuelta title for Primož Roglič, dominated the opening round on Friday evening completing the 23.3km flat course in a time of 24 minutes and 40 seconds.
The Dutch squad was 13 seconds faster than Ineos Grenadiers and 14 ahead of QuickStep-AlphaVinyl. In fourth place was Team BikeExchange-Jayco, well off the pace, 31 seconds back.
Gesink will wear the leader’s jersey when the race begins its second of three days of racing in the Netherlands on Saturday, with his teammates lined up in the GC order thanks to the TTT finish – Roglič in second, followed by Chris Harper, Sepp Kuss, Rohan Dennis, Edoardo Affini, Sam Oomen and then MIke Teunissen.
Rounding out the top 10 of the GC to start stage 2 are the first two riders to cross the finish line in Utrecht for Ineos Grenadiers, Ethan Hayter in ninth and Richard Carapaz in 10th. Along with their teammates Pavel Sivakov, Dylan van Baarle, Tao Geoghegan Hart, Spanish road race champion Carlos Rodriguez and Lucas Plapp, they trail Gesink by 13 seconds to complete the top 15.
The first of the QuickStep-AlphaVinyl team riders to cross the line and sit next in line in the GC is Remco Evenepoel.
The real battle for GC positions commence on Saturday for a 175.1km flat stage from ‘s-Hertogenbosch and back to Utrecht, where crosswinds could play a factor as much as speeds from the true sprinters.
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