In the pouring rain of Barcelona, last year’s winner Remco Evenepoel landed a points victory at the start of the 78th Tour of Spain. The Belgian time trial world champion rode his Belgian cycling team Soudal-Quick Step to fourth place in the team time trial in Barcelona on Saturday, 26 seconds ahead of the Jumbo Visma team with Tour champion Jonas Vingegaard (Denmark) and Giro winner Primoz Roglic ( Slovenia).
APA/AFP/Pau Barrena
However, the eleventh-placed jumbo team also had technical problems on the 14.8-kilometer course. The DSM team clinched victory with a lead of five tenths of a second over the Movistar team. Austria’s only starter, Tobias Bayer, finished 15th with the Alpecin racing team, 41 seconds behind.
“Totally ridiculous and a shame”
However, with the pouring rain and the onset of darkness, the conditions were borderline. “This is totally ridiculous and a shame. The organizers should know what can happen,” Evenepoel complained.
The second stage also ends in Barcelona on Sunday. After the start in Mataro, however, there are already a few tests awaiting the drivers over the 182 kilometers. One mountain in the second category and two climbs in the third category are on the program, including up to Montjuic just before the finish.
