BMC Win Opening Stage At Security-tight Vuelta
Zeeshan Mehtab Published August 19, 2017 | 11:20 PM
BMC Racing emerged victors from Saturday's team time trial as the Vuelta a Espana got underway under heightened security measures following two terrorist attacks in northeastern Spanish region of Catalonia
NNMES, France, , (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Aug, 2017 ) - BMC Racing emerged victors from Saturday's team time trial as the Vuelta a Espana got underway under heightened security measures following two terrorist attacks in northeastern Spanish region of Catalonia.
For just the third time the Vuelta started outside Spain in the southern French city of Nimes as American team BMC beat out Quick-Step Floors and Team Sunweb by six seconds in a time of 15mins 58secs for the 13.7km route with Australian Rohan Dennis taking the leader's red jersey.
Pre-race favourite Chris Froome's Sky team finished fourth a further three seconds back, but that was still enough for Froome to gain some early ground on his rivals in the general classification.
The threat of terror overshadowed the start of cycling's third Grand Tour of the season after 13 people were killed when a van ploughed into packed crowds on Barcelona's famous Las Ramblas on Thursday.
Attackers struck again in the early hours of Friday morning in Cambrils, 120 kilometres south of Barcelona, where a car rammed into pedestrians, killing one person.
After two more stages in France and the tiny Principality of Andorra, the race enters Spain on Tuesday in Tarragona, just 20 kilometres along the Mediterranean coast from Cambrils.
However, the race got off to a gentle start in picturesque surroundings with the short course still enough for Froome to take an early advantage. The four-time Tour de France winner is aiming to becoming just the third rider after Frenchmen Jacques Anquetil (1963) and Bernard Hinault (1978) to win both the Tour and Vuelta in the same year.
Orica-Scott led by British twins Adam and Simon Yates were nine seconds back on Sky in fifth. Vincenzo Nibali, 2010 Vuelta champion and arguably Froome's biggest threat having sat out the Tour de France, lost 22 seconds as his Bahrain-Merida squad finished ninth.
Alberto Contador started his final ever race down in a disappointing 11th for Trek Segafredo to fall 26 seconds back on Froome. Fabio Aru's Astana and a AG2R team containing Romain Bardet also finished 32 and 37 seconds behind Sky's time respectively. Sunday's flat second stage takes the riders 203.4km from Nimes to Gruissan.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
Selection committee dissolved over Pakistan women cricket team's poor performanc ..
Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz in police uniform at Chung police center
Currency Rate In Pakistan - Dollar, Euro, Pound, Riyal Rates On 25 April 2024
Today Gold Rate in Pakistan 25 April 2024
Mired in crisis, Boeing reports another loss
Session Awarding Ceremony 2024 held at Cadet College Muzaffarabad
Austrian ski great Hirscher to make comeback under Dutch flag
Pakistan, Japan agrees to convene 'Economic Policy Dialogue'
FM Dar conveys deepest sympathy on torrential rains devastation in UAE
Spain PM Sanchez says weighing resignation after wife's graft probe
Tennis: ATP/WTA Madrid Open results - 1st update
Long-lost Klimt portrait auctioned off for 30 mn euros
More Stories From Sports
-
Selection committee dissolved over Pakistan women cricket team's poor performance
54 minutes ago -
Paris holds its breath for Olympic swimming events in murky Seine
3 hours ago -
Austrian ski great Hirscher to make comeback under Dutch flag
13 hours ago -
Tennis: ATP/WTA Madrid Open results - 1st update
13 hours ago -
Osaka seals first win on clay since 2022 in Madrid
13 hours ago -
Watford hire Cleverley as permanent boss
13 hours ago
-
Karachi, Lahore, Multan win matches of National Women’s Cricket Tournament
14 hours ago -
No communication gap among players, asserts Babar Azam
14 hours ago -
Bracewell looks ahead to Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan
14 hours ago -
Bolt named ICC Men’s T20 WC 2024 ambassador
15 hours ago -
Kewell's Yokohama beat Ulsan to reach Asian Champions League final
16 hours ago -
Tennis: ATP/WTA Madrid Open results
16 hours ago