"It's the perfect start to this Tour," Vingegaard said afterwards. "My teammates were incredibly strong today, which allowed me to begin the final climb in an excellent position. Everyone gave everything for me. This victory and this yellow jersey belong to the whole team."

The Catalan coastal city of Barcelona provided the backdrop for the Grand Départ of the 113th edition of the Tour de France. Rather than a traditional road stage, the race began with a 19.6-kilometre team time trial to determine both the first stage winner and the first wearer of the yellow jersey. After a largely flat route through the city centre, the finale featured two demanding climbs.

Team Visma | Lease a Bike rolled off the start ramp as the penultimate team. Along the way, Netcompany INEOS and Lidl-Trek posted impressive intermediate times. In the closing kilometres, however, Team Visma | Lease a Bike gradually extended its advantage over the competition. On the steep final climb, Vingegaard sealed the fastest finishing time with a powerful effort. The two-time Tour de France champion also claimed the first yellow jersey.

"We had a clear plan and executed it to perfection," Vingegaard said. "It feels fantastic to wear the yellow jersey again. It remains one of the most iconic jerseys in cycling. The past few seasons haven't been without setbacks, so it means a great deal to be back in yellow."

Also Head of Performance Mathieu Heijboer was delighted: "It was a bold strategy, but it paid off perfectly. Our plan was to keep Jonas sheltered for as long as possible, and the guys executed that brilliantly. To take such a fantastic victory straight away, after such a long period of preparation, is incredibly rewarding. It's also wonderful to see Jonas wearing the yellow jersey again for the first time since 2023. We're going to enjoy this day."