Colombian wild card team Manzana Postobon will be the first team to start the Vuelta a Espana stage 1 team time trial in Nîmes Saturday evening. Trek-Segafredo, the team of Alberto Contador, are the last of the 22 squads to start the 13.7km test against the clock at 18:54. Starting with Manzana Postobon at 17:30 local time, the following teams will leave the Maison Carrée de Nîmes start ramp at four-minute intervals. The riders will arrive at the Nîmes musée archéologique. Chris Froome`s Sky are the penultimate starters, rolling out at 18:50 with the Briton and his teammates aiming to take an early advantage in the battle for the red jersey. Sky won the opening day team time trial last year, on a longer 27km course, placing Peter Kennaugh into the red jersey.ADVERTISEMENT In the battle for the stage win, Sky will be challenged by Quick-Step Floors (18:22) and BMC Racing (18:34). Movistar has enjoyed success in recent Vuelta team time trials but bring a young squad to the 2017 edition of the Spanish Grand Tour lacking prowess against the clock. The AG2R La Mondiale, Orica-Scott, Astana and Bahrain-Merida teams will be aiming to limit their losses to Sky and Froome. In 2017, the Vuelta a Espana starts outside of Spain for just the third time in race history after in Lisbon, Portugal in 1997 and Assen, Netherlands in 2009.
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
|