Cycling: BMC Racing won the team time trial at the opening of the Vuelta a España. However, this first stage will not be included in the overall ranking. Some teams took it easy.
The reason for the neutralization were partly violent protests by the drivers against the route. The 7,4 kilometers between Puerto Banús and Marbella consisted of a narrow and sandy beach promenade, a wooden walkway, an improvised bridge, tight turns and cobblestones. The drivers decided that it was unsuitable for the high speeds of a team time trial and protested. The evening before, the Vuelta organizers had bowed to the pressure. The route, which is located directly by the sea, provided spectacular TV pictures, but today's results were not included in the overall individual ranking.
Measured against their possibilities, some teams took it easy. The Europcar team, for example, lost more than two minutes in less than eight kilometers. The Sky, Cannondale-Garmin, Giant-Alpecin and AG2R teams also clearly showed that they were not driving with the utmost consistency. For other teams, the prestige of a stage win outweighed the fear of falls or defects. BMC Racing – the reigning team time trial world champions – beat Tinkoff-Saxo (+8:10) and Orica-Greenedge (also +0:01) in 0:01 minutes. The first wearer of the overall leader's red jersey is Slovakia's Peter Velits.
So tomorrow's stage is not just about winning the day, but for the first time also about time for the overall standings. The red jersey also beckons to the stage winner. Since the stage ends with a first mountain finish, one of the really big names could end up in front.
Final result stage 1 Vuelta a España 2015 (Team Time Trial)
[easy table th=“0″]
1.,BMC Racing,USA,00:08:10
2.,Tinkoff Saxo,RUS,00:00:01
3.,Orica-Greenedge,AUS,00:00:01
4.,Lotto-NL-Jumbo,NED,00:00:08
5.,Etixx Quick Step,BEL,00:00:10
6., Trek Factory Racing, USA, 00:00:11
7.,Lotto Soudal,BEL,00:00:18
8.,Caja Rural-Seguros RGA,SPA,00:00:18
9.,Movistar,SPA,00:00:24
10.,Cofidis Solutions Credit,FRA,00:00:27
[/easy table]