photo credits @ WTFK
Paul Seixas claimed an impressive victory in the opening time trial of the Itzulia Basque, delivering an impressive performance on a demanding 13.9-kilometer course around Bilbao.
The French neo-pro set the fastest time of 17:09 ahead of compatriot Kevin Vauquelin, who finished 23 seconds behind, while Austria’s Felix Großschartner placed third, a further 4 seconds back.
“These seconds are precious, a win is already perfect, but the gap is a bonus,” Seixas said.
Elsewhere, Red Bull riders Primož Roglič and Florian Lipowitz limited their losses, finishing 29 and 33 seconds down, respectively, while race favorite Juan Ayuso lost more time at 1:26 in arrears, followed by the fledgling Mexican Isaac Del Toro.
As one of the first riders down the ramp, Roglič set an early benchmark of 17:32. However, the Slovenian rider was later dethroned by Großschartner.
From there, the German rider was later knocked off the leaderboard by Vauquelin.
However, there was no stopping Seixas, who vanquished his rivals with a searing performance, earning the 19-year-old Frenchman his first WorldTour stage win.
“The work paid off today. I’m just so happy I’ve got this gap; it makes me confident about the win. Now I have to wear the [leader’s] jersey, and I am the overall favorite, now, but it’s a pity it’s only the start of the race, and anything can happen, so we have to be careful,” said Seixas.
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