The 79th Vuelta a España kicked off in Lisbon with a 12-kilometre individual time trial along the Portuguese capital’s coastline. The course, flat but exposed to the coastal winds, offered a stern test for the riders as they sought to lay down an early marker in the final Grand Tour of the season.
Edoardo Affini was among the first to set a competitive time, clocking in at 12 minutes and 43 seconds. The Italian from Team Visma | Lease a Bike held the top spot for much of the day, showcasing his time-trialling prowess. However, as more riders took to the course, the leaderboard began to shift.
Wout van Aert, starting last, put in a blistering effort, recording the fastest time at the intermediate checkpoint, one second ahead of Czech national time trial champion Mathias Vacek. Van Aert, who had opted to start later in the day when the wind had somewhat subsided, appeared poised to take the stage victory. However, in the final stretch, he lost crucial seconds, eventually finishing third, just three seconds behind the winning time.
Photo Credit: Unipublic-Cxcling Naike ErenozagaThe stage was ultimately won by Brandon McNulty, who powered through the course in 12 minutes and 35 seconds. The American rider from UAE Team Emirates took the victory by a narrow margin of two seconds over Vacek, securing his first Grand Tour leader’s jersey.
Reflecting on his performance, McNulty expressed his surprise at the result. “I was hoping for something good today, but this is really hard to believe for me,” he said. “I knew I could do something good, but I didn’t expect to win. I just felt good and went as hard as I could. I gave everything I had.”
Mathias Vacek, who had led for much of the stage, acknowledged the impact of the challenging conditions. “The wind was really strong but we knew that, so I was counting with it,” he said. “It was about pure power and I gave it everything. We can be really, really satisfied.”
Wout van Aert, despite his third-place finish, remained optimistic about the days ahead. “I didn’t feel great, I just felt good, but too soon in the TT it started to hurt, and at that point, it was still a long way to the finish,” he noted. “I finished third; I can build on that in the coming days.”
Defending champion Sepp Kuss finished 53 seconds behind McNulty, placing 62nd in the stage. Speaking after the race, Kuss remarked, “A time trial as the opener of a Grand Tour is always painful. This was a good warm-up for what’s ahead in the coming weeks. I went full. I can be happy with the time trial I rode.”
As the Vuelta continues, McNulty now dons the leader’s jersey, a significant achievement in his career. However, he remains focused on his role within the team, stating, “It’s nice to be in the lead, but it’s no secret or surprise that we have two very strong GC riders in our team… I will do all I can to help them.”
Photo Credit: Getty2024 Vuelta a Espana Stage 1 result
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Main photo credit: Unipublic/Sprint Cycling Agency
