La Vuelta a Espana 2024 - the third and final Grand Tour of the professional road cycling season - started with an individual time trial in Portugal. The race organizers had chosen a 12-kilometer route in flat terrain, starting in the beautiful streets of Lisbon, taking the riders along the banks of the Tajo River, and ending in Oeiras, home of the Marquis of Pombal Palace.

Top contestants lining up at the start of this year’s Vuelta a Espana included defending champion Sepp Kuss (Team Visma-Lease a Bike), Primoz Roglic (Red Bull – Bora – Hansgrohe), Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek), Thymen Arensman (Ineos-Grenadiers), Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost), Carlos Rodriguez (Ineos-Grenadiers), Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates), Wout van Aert (Team Visma-Lease a Bike), Mikel Landa (Soudal-QuickStep), and Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates). 

While the stage 1 time trial was obviously of crucial significance for the time trial specialists in the Vuelta peloton, the stage was also important for the sprinters and the general classification favorites in the Vuelta peloton. 

Enric Mas (Movistar Team) and Victor Campenaerts (Lotto-Dstny) were some of the fastest early starters, but it did not take long before they were replaced by Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates) and Edoardo Affini (Team Visma-Lease a Bike) in the hot seat.

General classification challenger Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) delivered a respectable performance and was in fourth position at the time of his finish. But many other riders had yet to start their time trials.

Mikel Landa started his time trial. The Spanish rider is starting the Vuelta a Espana as team captain for Soudal-QuickStep following his impressive performance in this year’s Tour de France. Possibly the T-Rex on the team’s special edition Vuelta jerseys would give him even more strength on his time trial bike.

Landa’s performance in today’s stage, however, turned out to be lackluster. He was 30th at the time of his finish.

General classification favorite Thymen Arensman (Ineos-Grenadiers) started his time trial on his Pinarello bike. Though Arensman finished sixth in this year’s Giro d’Italia, he only managed to finish twentieth in the recent Vuelta a Burgos. Arensman was in ninth position when he crossed the finish line in today’s 12-kilometer time trial.

Ineos-Grenadiers talent Joshua Tarling launched his time trial. The British rider is hoping for a noteworthy finish in the general classification. Later, Adam Yates left the start ramp for UAE Team Emirates. 

Portuguese rider Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) started his time trial on home turf and with high hopes of delivering a top finish in the general classification of this year’s Vuelta a Espana.

Richard Carapaz starts the Vuelta a Espana as captain for his EF Education-EasyPost team. The Ecuadorian rider delivered impressive performances in this year’s Tour de France and is aiming for the overall victory in La Vuelta. Carapaz finished 35th in today’s stage 1 time trial. 

Meanwhile, teammate Rigoberto Uran is riding his final season as a professional cyclist and disappointingly crossed the finish line in 139th position today. Perhaps the Colombian rider is aiming for stage victories in La Vuelta.

Defending Vuelta Champion Sepp Kuss (Team Visma-Lease a Bike) launched his time trial and was looking fast on his Cervelo time trial bike. He was clearly pushing all his energy reserves into the pedals.

Meanwhile, Czech national time trial champion Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek) was setting a fast pace in his time trial and was the fastest rider at Intermediate Timing Point 1. The Czech fast man pressed on and crossed the finish line as the new best rider, thereby forcing Affini out of the hot seat.

American Sepp Kuss crossed the finish line in 48th position. Alas, a disappointing performance from the defending Vuelta champion.

Belgian star rider Wout van Aert (Team Visma-Lease a Bike) left the start ramp with great ambitions.

Primoz Roglic was a much-anticipated starter in this year’s Vuelta following his premature exit from the Tour de France due to a serious crash. The Red Bull – Bora – Hansgrohe team clearly expects its team captain to finish on the podium in this year’s La Vuelta a Espana following a significant financial infusion from new team sponsor Red Bull.

Roglic set an eighth-best time at Intermediate Timing Point 1. The Slovenian rider had clearly arrived in good form for the Vuelta. He was sixth best when he crossed the finish line.

American Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates) crossed the finish line in a new fastest time and replaced Vacek in the hot seat. Would the American rider win the first stage of this year’s Vuelta?

Van Aert came close to beating McNulty in the time trial, but he was approximately three seconds slower than McNulty when he crossed the finish line.

American National Time Trial Champion Brandon McNulty has won stage 1 of Vuelta a Espana 2024 ahead of Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek), while Wout van Aert completed the stage podium for Team Visma – Lease a Bike.

Stage 2 of La Vuelta a Espana 2024 will be a 194-kilometer ride in hilly terrain from Cascais to Ourem. The stage will include two Category 4 climbs.

Stay tuned to Roadcycling.com for additional coverage from Vuelta a Espana 2024.

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