Soudal Quick-Step’s Belgian sits fourth overall after the first stage.

For just the second time this century, Irun hosted the opening stage of the Itzulia Basque Country, but unlike 2006 – when the day belonged to the puncheurs – this time the specialists against the clock took center stage. The 10km course included some technical sections, cobbled streets and the Olaberria climb, averaging 5% over 1.7 kilometers and coming in the first part of the day.

The weather prediction hinted to some rain in the afternoon and this prompted all the general classification favourites to start early. Fourth overall two years ago at his debut in the race, Remco Evenepoel didn’t have the best of luck on Monday, crashing in the second corner of the race. Fortunately, there were no consequences, and the World Champion quickly got back on his bike and continued the ITT.

Victorious this year at the Volta ao Algarve, Evenepoel was still able to produce a solid effort which at the end of the day resulted in a fourth place, only eleven seconds behind Primoz Roglic (Bora-hansgrohe), who took the win in Irun.

“Everything went well today, except for the mistake I made 200 meters into the race. It was slippery there, but it was my fault. I was hoping to be ahead of the others, but now I am a bit behind. On the other hand, the gaps are small, I am confident in myself and my team, and the real race starts tomorrow, and with it, the real between the yellow jersey contenders”, said Remco after the stage.

 

Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images

Race details

1 Primož Roglič
BORA - hansgrohe
12:34
2 Jay Vine
UAE Team Emirates
0:07
3 Mattias Skjelmose Jensen
Lidl - Trek
0:10
4 Remco Evenepoel
Soudal Quick-Step
0:11
5 Jonas Vingegaard Hansen
Team Visma | Lease a Bike
0:15
6 Kévin Vauquelin
0:16
7 Juan Ayuso Pesquera
UAE Team Emirates
0:16
8 Maximilian Schachmann
BORA - hansgrohe
0:16
9 Ethan Hayter
INEOS Grenadiers
0:19
10 Ion Izagirre Insausti
Cofidis
0:21
38 Louis Vervaeke
Soudal Quick-Step
0:43
69 Mikel Landa Meana
Soudal Quick-Step
0:55
78 William Junior Lecerf
Soudal Quick-Step
1:00
102 Pieter Serry
Soudal Quick-Step
1:13
110 James Knox
Soudal Quick-Step
1:15
132 Gil Gelders
Soudal Quick-Step
1:26
1 Primož Roglič
BORA - hansgrohe
12:34
2 Jay Vine
UAE Team Emirates
0:07
3 Mattias Skjelmose Jensen
Lidl - Trek
0:10
4 Remco Evenepoel
Soudal Quick-Step
0:11
5 Jonas Vingegaard Hansen
Team Visma | Lease a Bike
0:15
6 Kévin Vauquelin
0:16
7 Juan Ayuso Pesquera
UAE Team Emirates
0:16
8 Maximilian Schachmann
BORA - hansgrohe
0:16
9 Ethan Hayter
INEOS Grenadiers
0:19
10 Ion Izagirre Insausti
Cofidis
0:21
38 Louis Vervaeke
Soudal Quick-Step
0:43
68 Mikel Landa Meana
Soudal Quick-Step
0:55
78 William Junior Lecerf
Soudal Quick-Step
1:00
101 Pieter Serry
Soudal Quick-Step
1:13
110 James Knox
Soudal Quick-Step
1:15
132 Gil Gelders
Soudal Quick-Step
1:26
1 Primož Roglič
BORA - hansgrohe
25 pt
2 Jay Vine
UAE Team Emirates
20 pt
3 Mattias Skjelmose Jensen
Lidl - Trek
16 pt
4 Remco Evenepoel
Soudal Quick-Step
14 pt
5 Jonas Vingegaard Hansen
Team Visma | Lease a Bike
12 pt
6 Kévin Vauquelin
10 pt
7 Juan Ayuso Pesquera
UAE Team Emirates
9 pt
8 Maximilian Schachmann
BORA - hansgrohe
8 pt
9 Ethan Hayter
INEOS Grenadiers
7 pt
10 Ion Izagirre Insausti
Cofidis
6 pt
1 Primož Roglič
BORA - hansgrohe
3 pt
2 Ethan Hayter
INEOS Grenadiers
2 pt
3 Jay Vine
UAE Team Emirates
1 pt
1 Juan Ayuso Pesquera
UAE Team Emirates
12:50
2 Isaac del Toro Romero
UAE Team Emirates
0:08
3 Romain Grégoire
Groupama - FDJ
0:12
4 Lorenzo Germani
Groupama - FDJ
0:25
5 Oscar Onley
Team dsm-firmenich PostNL
0:27
6 Markel Beloki Fernandez
EF Education - EasyPost
0:32
7 Gianmarco Garofoli
Astana Qazaqstan Team
0:38
8 William Junior Lecerf
Soudal Quick-Step
0:44
9 Igor Arrieta Lizarraga
UAE Team Emirates
0:56
10 Iker Mintegi Claver
Euskaltel - Euskadi
0:59
15 Gil Gelders
Soudal Quick-Step
1:10
1 UAE Team Emirates 38:28
2 BORA - hansgrohe 0:00
3 Bahrain - Victorious 0:27
4 Lidl - Trek 0:27
5 INEOS Grenadiers 0:34
6 Groupama - FDJ 0:51
7 Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team 0:59
8 Soudal Quick-Step 1:03
9 Movistar Team 1:14
10 TotalEnergies 1:23

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