Saturday, August 26: Stage 1, Barcelona 14.8 km team time trial
Stage 1 map & profile | Stage 1 photos
Team dsm-firmenich finishes its stage-winning ride.
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Weather at the race city of Barcelona at 7:00 PM, local time: 26C (78F), light rain, with the wind from the east at 14 km/hr (9 mph).
The stage: Retired racer Fernando Escartin writes: The team time trial is, once again, the first stage of La Vuelta, though this time with a slightly shorter route. Its outline will showcase some of the most emblematic locations in Barcelona’s city center. Although technical, it is not expected to make much of a difference among the leading teams.
The race: Several riders crashed, including Hugo Hofstetter (Arkea-Samsic), Laurens De Plus (INEOS Grenadiers) & Eddie Dunbar (Jayco AlUla).
Here is the race organizer's stage 1 summary:
From the world championships to La Vuelta, Lorenzo Milesi is enjoying a formidable August. The Italian youngster, winner of the rainbow jersey in the Under 23 individual time trial, is the first leader of the 78th edition of the Spanish Grand Tour after he led Team DSM-Firmenich to victory in the opening team time-trial. The German squad went early, as thunder roared over Barcelona, and nobody ever managed to overthrow them. Movistar came the closest, only trailing by half a second, while Remco Evenepoel’s Soudal Quick-Step lost 6’’ and Jumbo-Visma 32’’. La Vuelta 23 begins with a spectacular surprise!
The Vuelta got a wet beginning. Between team starts they are squeegeeing the start platform.
The 78th edition of La Vuelta starts from Barcelona with a 14.8km team time trial visiting some of the most iconic areas of the city. The riders will start from the coast, on the Somorrostro beach, and ride through the city, passing by iconic monuments such as the Sagrada Familia, until the finish on the avenue Reina Maria Cristina, next to Plaza de España.
DSM-Firmenich set the reference in the rain
The first team to start is Caja Rural Seguros RGA, at 18:55, followed by DSM-Firmenich 4 minutes later, and then Lidl-Trek at 19:03. They do so under a grey sky, after a few sunny and hot days in Barcelona. The thunder roars and the rain wets the roads.
In these conditions, DSM-Firmenich set the first strong reference: 17’30’’ to cover the 14.8km with a powerhouse such as Lorenzo Milesi, the U23 ITT world champion crowned a couple of weeks ago in Scotland.
Team dsm-firmenich takes off.
A very wet final kilometre
Arkea-Samsic have a much different experience when Hugo Hofstetter’s wheels slip in the final kilometres, taking down his leader Kevin Vauquelin, who drops over a minute. Bahrain Victorious (+10’’), EF Education-EasyPost (+6’’) and then Groupama-FDJ (+6’’) are more successful but DSM-Firmenich hold on to the best time.
The final kilometre is particularly wet, which also leads to crashes for Maurice Ballerstedt (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Eddie Dunbar (Jayco-AlUla). Laurens De Plus goes down earlier in the race and Ineos Grenadiers finish with a time of 17’50’’ (+20’’).
The first 2023 Vuelta GC leader Lorenzo Milesi in the Vuelta's red jersey
Movistar come agonisingly close
Jumbo-Visma also struggle, trailing by 28’’ after 9.6km and eventually dropping 32’’ on the line. Enric Mas’ Movistar come much closer, only dropping half a second on the line! But when Remco Evenepoel’s Soudal Quick-Step finish with a gap of 6’’, DSM-Firmenich seal the win and Lorenzo Milesi takes La Roja.
Team INEOS Grenadiers
Team Jumbo-Visma finishes
Soudal Quick-Step racing in the rain and in the dark.
Complete results:
14.8 kilometers raced at an average speed of 50.743 km/hr
1 | TEAM DSM-FIRMENICH | 17min 30sec |
2 | MOVISTAR TEAM | s.t. |
3 | EF EDUCATION- EASYPOST | @ 5sec |
4 | SOUDAL QUICK-STEP | s.t. |
5 | GROUPAMA- FDJ | s.t. |
6 | BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS | 0' 10'' |
7 | ASTANA QAZAQSTAN TEAM | 0' 17'' |
8 | INEOS GRENADIERS | 0' 20'' |
9 | COFIDIS | 0' 22'' |
10 | BORA- HANSGROHE | 0' 28'' |
11 | JUMBO-VISMA | 0' 32'' |
12 | INTERMARCHÉ- CIRCUS- WANTY | 0' 33'' |
13 | LOTTO DSTNY | 0' 34'' |
14 | UAE TEAM EMIRATES | 0' 37'' |
15 | ALPECIN-DECEUNINCK | 0' 41'' |
16 | CAJA RURAL-SEGUROSRGA | 0' 42'' |
17 | AG2R CITROEN TEAM | 0' 48'' |
18 | TOTALENERGIES | 0' 50'' |
19 | TEAM JAYCO ALULA | 0' 51'' |
20 | LIDL-TREK | 0' 56'' |
21 | BURGOS-BH | 1' 13'' |
22 | TEAM ARKEA- SAMSIC | 1' 18'' |
GC after stage 1:
1 | LORENZO MILESI | TEAM DSM-FIRMENICH | 17min 30sec |
2 | DAVID MAX POOLE | TEAM DSM-FIRMENICH | s.t. |
3 | ROMAIN BARDET | TEAM DSM-FIRMENICH | s.t. |
4 | SEAN FLYNN | TEAM DSM-FIRMENICH | s.t. |
5 | EDGAR OSCAR ONLEY | TEAM DSM-FIRMENICH | s.t. |
6 | CHRISTOPHER HAMILTON | TEAM DSM-FIRMENICH | s.t. |
7 | ENRIC MAS | MOVISTAR TEAM | s.t. |
8 | EINER AUGUSTO RUBIO | MOVISTAR TEAM | s.t. |
9 | NELSON OLIVEIRA | MOVISTAR TEAM | s.t. |
10 | IVAN GARCIA CORTINA | MOVISTAR TEAM | s.t. |
11 | IMANOL ERVITI | MOVISTAR TEAM | s.t. |
12 | STEFAN BISSEGGER | EF EDUCATION-EASYPOST | @ 6sec |
13 | MARIJN VAN DEN BERG | EF EDUCATION-EASYPOST | s.t. |
14 | JONATHAN CAICEDO | EF EDUCATION-EASYPOST | s.t. |
15 | ANDREA PICCOLO | EF EDUCATION-EASYPOST | s.t. |
16 | DIEGO ANDRES CAMARGO | EF EDUCATION-EASYPOST | s.t. |
17 | HUGH JOHN CARTHY | EF EDUCATION-EASYPOST | s.t. |
18 | REMCO EVENEPOEL | SOUDAL QUICK-STEP | s.t. |
19 | MATTIA CATTANEO | SOUDAL QUICK-STEP | s.t. |
20 | PHILLIP CASPER PEDERSEN | SOUDAL QUICK-STEP | s.t. |
21 | ANDREA BAGIOLI | SOUDAL QUICK-STEP | s.t. |
22 | LOUIS VERVAEKE | SOUDAL QUICK-STEP | s.t. |
23 | LENNY MARTINEZ | GROUPAMA-FDJ | s.t. |
24 | ROMAIN GREGOIRE | GROUPAMA-FDJ | s.t. |
25 | SAMUEL WATSON | GROUPAMA-FDJ | s.t. |
26 | RUDY MOLARD | GROUPAMA-FDJ | s.t. |
27 | MICHAEL STORER | GROUPAMA-FDJ | s.t. |
28 | LEWIS ASKEY | GROUPAMA-FDJ | 0' 08'' |
29 | SEAN QUINN | EF EDUCATION-EASYPOST | s.t. |
30 | DAMIANO CARUSO | BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS | 0' 10'' |
31 | MATEVŽ GOVEKAR | BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS | s.t. |
32 | SANTIAGO BUITRAGO | BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS | s.t. |
33 | ANTONIO TIBERI | BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS | s.t. |
34 | MIKEL LANDA | BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS | s.t. |
35 | WOUT POELS | BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS | s.t. |
36 | LORENZO GERMANI | GROUPAMA-FDJ | 0' 12'' |
37 | FABIO FELLINE | ASTANA QAZAQSTAN TEAM | 0' 17'' |
38 | DAVID DE LA CRUZ | ASTANA QAZAQSTAN TEAM | s.t. |
39 | LUIS LEON SANCHEZ | ASTANA QAZAQSTAN TEAM | s.t. |
40 | JAVIER ROMO OLIVER | ASTANA QAZAQSTAN TEAM | s.t. |
41 | VADIM PRONSKIY | ASTANA QAZAQSTAN TEAM | s.t. |
42 | SAMUELE BATTISTELLA | ASTANA QAZAQSTAN TEAM | s.t. |
43 | ANDREY ZEITS | ASTANA QAZAQSTAN TEAM | s.t. |
44 | JONATHAN CASTROVIEJO | INEOS GRENADIERS | 0' 20'' |
45 | GERAINT THOMAS | INEOS GRENADIERS | s.t. |
46 | KIM ALEXANDER HEIDUK | INEOS GRENADIERS | s.t. |
47 | THYMEN ARENSMAN | INEOS GRENADIERS | s.t. |
48 | EGAN BERNAL | INEOS GRENADIERS | s.t. |
49 | BRYAN COQUARD | COFIDIS | 0' 22'' |
50 | JESUS HERRADA | COFIDIS | s.t. |
51 | DAVIDE CIMOLAI | COFIDIS | s.t. |
52 | RUBEN FERNANDEZ | COFIDIS | s.t. |
53 | RÉMY ROCHAS | COFIDIS | s.t. |
54 | ALBERTO DAINESE | TEAM DSM-FIRMENICH | 0' 25'' |
55 | BEN ZWIEHOFF | BORA-HANSGROHE | 0' 28'' |
56 | ALEKSANDR VLASOV | BORA-HANSGROHE | s.t. |
57 | LENNARD KÄMNA | BORA-HANSGROHE | s.t. |
58 | CIAN UIJTDEBROEKS | BORA-HANSGROHE | s.t. |
59 | SERGIO ANDRES HIGUITA | BORA-HANSGROHE | s.t. |
60 | JONAS KOCH | BORA-HANSGROHE | s.t. |
61 | JORGE ARCAS | MOVISTAR TEAM | s.t. |
62 | SEPP KUSS | JUMBO-VISMA | 0' 32'' |
63 | JAN TRATNIK | JUMBO-VISMA | s.t. |
64 | ATTILA VALTER | JUMBO-VISMA | s.t. |
65 | JONAS VINGEGAARD | JUMBO-VISMA | s.t. |
66 | PRIMOŽ ROGLIČ | JUMBO-VISMA | s.t. |
67 | WILCO KELDERMAN | JUMBO-VISMA | s.t. |
68 | KOBE GOOSSENS | INTERMARCHÉ-CIRCUS-WANTY | 0' 33'' |
69 | RUI COSTA | INTERMARCHÉ-CIRCUS-WANTY | s.t. |
70 | HUGO PAGE | INTERMARCHÉ-CIRCUS-WANTY | s.t. |
71 | RUNE HERREGODTS | INTERMARCHÉ-CIRCUS-WANTY | s.t. |
72 | JULIUS JOHANSEN | INTERMARCHÉ-CIRCUS-WANTY | s.t. |
73 | ANDREAS LORENTZ KRON | LOTTO DSTNY | 0' 34'' |
74 | LENNERT VAN EETVELT | LOTTO DSTNY | s.t. |
75 | EDUARDO SEPULVEDA | LOTTO DSTNY | s.t. |
76 | SYLVAIN MONIQUET | LOTTO DSTNY | s.t. |
77 | SÉBASTIEN GRIGNARD | LOTTO DSTNY | s.t. |
78 | FINN FISHER-BLACK | UAE TEAM EMIRATES | 0' 37'' |
79 | JUAN AYUSO | UAE TEAM EMIRATES | s.t. |
80 | RUI OLIVEIRA | UAE TEAM EMIRATES | s.t. |
81 | JAY VINE | UAE TEAM EMIRATES | s.t. |
82 | MARC SOLER | UAE TEAM EMIRATES | s.t. |
83 | EDWARD PLANCKAERT | ALPECIN-DECEUNINCK | 0' 41'' |
84 | SAMUEL GAZE | ALPECIN-DECEUNINCK | s.t. |
85 | ROBBE GHYS | ALPECIN-DECEUNINCK | s.t. |
86 | JIMMY JANSSENS | ALPECIN-DECEUNINCK | s.t. |
87 | MAURICE BALLERSTEDT | ALPECIN-DECEUNINCK | s.t. |
88 | FERNANDO BARCELO | CAJA RURAL-SEGUROSRGA | 0' 42'' |
89 | JOEL NICOLAU BELTRAN | CAJA RURAL-SEGUROSRGA | s.t. |
90 | ORLUIS ALBERTO AULAR | CAJA RURAL-SEGUROSRGA | s.t. |
91 | JEFFERSON CEPEDA | CAJA RURAL-SEGUROSRGA | s.t. |
92 | ABEL BALDERSTONE | CAJA RURAL-SEGUROSRGA | s.t. |
93 | DAVID GONZALEZ LOPEZ | CAJA RURAL-SEGUROSRGA | s.t. |
94 | MICHAL SCHLEGEL | CAJA RURAL-SEGUROSRGA | s.t. |
95 | JON BARRENETXEA | CAJA RURAL-SEGUROSRGA | s.t. |
96 | SIMONE PETILLI | INTERMARCHÉ-CIRCUS-WANTY | 0' 43'' |
97 | ROMAIN COMBAUD | TEAM DSM-FIRMENICH | 0' 45'' |
98 | OMAR FRAILE | INEOS GRENADIERS | 0' 46'' |
99 | DORIAN GODON | AG2R CITROEN TEAM | 0' 48'' |
100 | LAWRENCE WARBASSE | AG2R CITROEN TEAM | s.t. |
101 | ANDREA VENDRAME | AG2R CITROEN TEAM | s.t. |
102 | PAUL LAPEIRA | AG2R CITROEN TEAM | s.t. |
103 | NICOLAS PRODHOMME | AG2R CITROEN TEAM | s.t. |
104 | DAMIEN TOUZE | AG2R CITROEN TEAM | s.t. |
105 | STEFF CRAS | TOTALENERGIES | 0' 50'' |
106 | PAUL OURSELIN | TOTALENERGIES | s.t. |
107 | DRIES VAN GESTEL | TOTALENERGIES | s.t. |
108 | FABIEN DOUBEY | TOTALENERGIES | s.t. |
109 | GEOFFREY SOUPE | TOTALENERGIES | s.t. |
110 | PIERRE LATOUR | TOTALENERGIES | s.t. |
111 | FELIX ENGELHARDT | TEAM JAYCO ALULA | 0' 51'' |
112 | MATTEO SOBRERO | TEAM JAYCO ALULA | s.t. |
113 | CALLUM SCOTSON | TEAM JAYCO ALULA | s.t. |
114 | MICHAEL HEPBURN | TEAM JAYCO ALULA | s.t. |
115 | EDWARD DUNBAR | TEAM JAYCO ALULA | s.t. |
116 | JOAO ALMEIDA | UAE TEAM EMIRATES | 0' 52'' |
117 | JOSE HERRADA | COFIDIS | 0' 53'' |
118 | JACOPO MOSCA | LIDL-TREK | 0' 56'' |
119 | EDWARD THEUNS | LIDL-TREK | s.t. |
120 | JULIEN BERNARD | LIDL-TREK | s.t. |
121 | AMANUEL GEHBREIGZABHIER | LIDL-TREK | s.t. |
122 | KENNY ELISSONDE | LIDL-TREK | s.t. |
123 | JUAN PEDRO LOPEZ PEREZ | LIDL-TREK | s.t. |
124 | CLÉMENT DAVY | GROUPAMA-FDJ | 0' 59'' |
125 | THOMAS BONNET | TOTALENERGIES | s.t. |
126 | RUBEN GUERREIRO | MOVISTAR TEAM | 1' 00'' |
127 | THOMAS DE GENDT | LOTTO DSTNY | s.t. |
128 | KAMIL GRADEK | BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS | 1' 01'' |
129 | OTTO VERGAERDE | LIDL-TREK | 1' 03'' |
130 | JOSEPH DOMBROWSKI | ASTANA QAZAQSTAN TEAM | 1' 07'' |
131 | WELAY BERHE | TEAM JAYCO ALULA | 1' 08'' |
132 | BAUKE MOLLEMA | LIDL-TREK | s.t. |
133 | REIN TAARAMÄE | INTERMARCHÉ-CIRCUS-WANTY | 1' 09'' |
134 | BOY VAN POPPEL | INTERMARCHÉ-CIRCUS-WANTY | s.t. |
135 | FRANÇOIS BIDARD | COFIDIS | 1' 10'' |
136 | NICO DENZ | BORA-HANSGROHE | s.t. |
137 | JESUS EZQUERRA MUELA | BURGOS-BH | 1' 13'' |
138 | JETSE BOL | BURGOS-BH | s.t. |
139 | PELAYO SANCHEZ MAYO | BURGOS-BH | s.t. |
140 | ANDER OKAMIKA | BURGOS-BH | s.t. |
141 | ANTONIO ERIC FAGUNDEZ | BURGOS-BH | s.t. |
142 | DYLAN VAN BAARLE | JUMBO-VISMA | 1' 17'' |
143 | ROBERT GESINK | JUMBO-VISMA | s.t. |
144 | JULIUS VAN DEN BERG | EF EDUCATION-EASYPOST | 1' 18'' |
145 | CRISTIAN RODRIGUEZ | TEAM ARKEA-SAMSIC | s.t. |
146 | ELIE GESBERT | TEAM ARKEA-SAMSIC | s.t. |
147 | LUKASZ OWSIAN | TEAM ARKEA-SAMSIC | s.t. |
148 | MICHEL RIES | TEAM ARKEA-SAMSIC | s.t. |
149 | MATHIS LE BERRE | TEAM ARKEA-SAMSIC | s.t. |
150 | KÉVIN VAUQUELIN | TEAM ARKEA-SAMSIC | s.t. |
151 | HUGO HOFSTETTER | TEAM ARKEA-SAMSIC | s.t. |
152 | JASHA SÜTTERLIN | BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS | 1' 23'' |
153 | JUAN SEBASTIAN MOLANO | UAE TEAM EMIRATES | 1' 25'' |
154 | EMANUEL BUCHMANN | BORA-HANSGROHE | 1' 27'' |
155 | JAN HIRT | SOUDAL QUICK-STEP | 1' 31'' |
156 | PIETER SERRY | SOUDAL QUICK-STEP | s.t. |
157 | JAMES KNOX | SOUDAL QUICK-STEP | 1' 35'' |
158 | MILAN MENTEN | LOTTO DSTNY | 1' 43'' |
159 | JARRAD DRIZNERS | LOTTO DSTNY | s.t. |
160 | MIKAEL CHEREL | AG2R CITROEN TEAM | 1' 46'' |
161 | GEOFFREY BOUCHARD | AG2R CITROEN TEAM | s.t. |
162 | FILIPPO ZANA | TEAM JAYCO ALULA | 1' 59'' |
163 | KEVIN LEDANOIS | TEAM ARKEA-SAMSIC | 2' 05'' |
164 | FILIPPO GANNA | INEOS GRENADIERS | 2' 09'' |
165 | OIER LAZKANO LOPEZ | MOVISTAR TEAM | 2' 11'' |
166 | ALAN JOUSSEAUME | TOTALENERGIES | s.t. |
167 | CYRIL BARTHE | BURGOS-BH | s.t. |
168 | DANIEL NAVARRO | BURGOS-BH | s.t. |
169 | TOBIAS BAYER | ALPECIN-DECEUNINCK | 2' 16'' |
170 | ANDRÉ CARVALHO | COFIDIS | 2' 24'' |
171 | DOMEN NOVAK | UAE TEAM EMIRATES | 2' 30'' |
172 | JASON OSBORNE | ALPECIN-DECEUNINCK | 2' 38'' |
173 | KADEN GROVES | ALPECIN-DECEUNINCK | s.t. |
174 | JOSE MANUEL DIAZ | BURGOS-BH | 3' 02'' |
175 | JAN MAAS | TEAM JAYCO ALULA | 3' 20'' |
Stage 1 map & profile:
Stage 1 map
Stage 1 profile
Stage one photos by Fotoreporter Sirotti:
The finish line before the race start.
Team Bahrain Victorious
Arkea-Samsic rider Hugo Hofstedder crashing on the wet, slippery street.
Gettng going after the fall.
Team Jayco-AlUla
Team Ef Education-EasyPost
Team Ag2r-Citroen
Team TotalEnergies
INEOS Grenadiers
Team dsm-firmenich on their way to winnng the stage.
Team dsm-firmenich enjoying their stage win.
The first 2023 Vuelta GC leader Lorenzo Milesi in the Vuelta's red jersey