The 66th Itzulia Basque Country started with a 10-kilometre individual time trial in the streets of Irun. Vingegaard, who won the Spanish stage race in 2023, was the first Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider to leave the start ramp. On the technical course, the 27-year-old team leader immediately managed to set a solid race. With a time of 12'59", the Dane secured fifth place, 15 seconds behind stage winner Roglic.

"An explosive start to the week," is how Vingegaard described the opening time trial afterwards. "I'm satisfied with my performance today. The legs and overall feeling were good. I'm not concerned about the gap to Roglic yet. A lot can happen in the following five stages."

Vingegaard managed to win O Gran Camiño and Tirreno-Adriatico earlier this season. With Izulia Basque Country, he is riding his third stage race of the season. "After Tirreno-Adriatico, I had a good training period. The shape is there, so I am looking forward to the upcoming stages. On paper, this edition of Itzulia Basque Country seems slightly less demanding than previous years. Nevertheless, I expect a fight until the decisive final stage," he concludes.