shoot credits @ La Vuelta
Those expecting a sunny start to the 2023 Vuelta a Espana were sorely disappointed as the rain poured down on Barcelona, forcing teams to navigate the 14.8 kilometer Team Time Trial with caution, with Team DSM-Firmenich producing a stunning ride to claim the opening stage of this year’s Spanish Grand Tour in treacherous conditions.
With the rain inundating the course around Barcelona, most teams took a cautious approach. But, a few took their chances, leading to a series of cashes that ensnared some big name hopefuls. Indeed, both INEOS and Jumbo-Visma both lost significant time as a result of crashes.
However Movistar and Soudal-Quick-Step managed to stay upright, but not enough to dethrone the Dutch squad, handing the under-23 World Time Trial Champion Lorenzo Miles the first leader’s jersey.
Earlier, Caja Rural-Seguros RSA was the first team to roll down the start ramp, as intermittent thunder and lightning, accompanied by rain, pelted the course.
The first six teams to ride all avoided any accidents, but Arkea-Samsic had three men hit the tarmac on the wet city roads. Not long after, Alpecin-Deceuninck had a man on the floor, too.
When Ineos Grenadiers began, at just before 8pm local time, the rain became even heavier, and within a few kilometers Laurens De Plus of the British team crashed hard. The Belgian was able to remount on his bike, but looked in pain as he did so.
Jayco-AlUla’s Eddie Dunbar, targeting a top-10 in the race after his seventh-placed finish at May’s Giro d’Italia, crashed in the closing kilometers of the stage along with five of his teammates, but the Irishman appeared to survive without too much damage.
The rain remained incessant, and as the final few teams all took to the start, the light was fading fast, making conditions even trickier for the riders out on the course. Come the end, only Movistar could match DSM’s time, but no one could better its time.
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