The 68th edition of the Basque stage race kicked off with an individual time trial. In the 13.9-kilometre race against the clock, the riders had to tackle the Santo Domingo (2.4 km at 7%) straight away, followed by a fast and technical descent. A gruelling final climb awaited them in the last 500 metres.

Tulett got underway early and clocked a respectable time of 18:01. The 24-year-old Briton eventually finished fourteenth, over fifty seconds behind stage winner Seixas. "I’m glad the first test has finished", says Tulett. "It was a very tough time trial. It went uphill straight from the start, and that’s certainly not easy on a time trial bike. All in all, I can be satisfied with this result."

For Tulett, this week is all about his return to racing. "After my crash in the Faun Drome Classic, I wasn’t able to race for a few weeks, so I was really looking forward to getting back out there with my teammates. I’m curious to see how the next few days will go. The organisers have once again put together a challenging route for us, so there’ll be climbing every day."