Stage 1

The road

At the start

Torrevieja, and a wide-open Vuelta

A team time trial along the salt flats at Torrevieja opens a Vuelta with a hole where its favourites should be: no Froome, no Thomas, no Bernal, no Dumoulin, no Nibali. What is left is an opportunity. Movistar bring the trident to their home race — Carapaz, Valverde, Quintana — against Roglič, López, and a Fabio Aru still hunting the rider who won here in 2015. Thirteen flat kilometres, and the first red jersey.

How it was won

1. 12 km to go

   A car costs Quick-Step

   Deceuninck-QuickStep are on course to beat Astana until a badly-parked Jumbo-Visma car forces them to check their line on the final corner, splitting the team and their rhythm.

2. 2At the line

   Astana win the TTT

   A flawless, mistake-free ride gives Astana the opening team time trial by two seconds; Miguel Ángel López crosses first to take the very first red jersey of the race.

The result