Unfortunate start for Team Visma | Lease a Bike in La Vuelta Femenina
Team Visma | Lease a Bike Women was unable to compete for the day's victory in the first stage of La Vuelta Femenina. The Dutch formation finished tenth in a chaotic team time trial, in which organizational errors from the UCI caused a number of Team Visma | Lease a Bike riders to start too late. The team eventually conceded twenty seconds to the winning Team Lidl-Trek.
The 11th edition of the Spanish stage race kicked off with a team time trial of just over 8 kilometers through the streets of Barcelona. Team Visma | Lease a Bike saw Imogen Wolff and Femke de Vries miss the start due to a (too) late bike check, but De Vries was able to come back in the train.
Led by Marianne Vos and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, Team Visma | Lease a Bike set a time of 9 minutes and 51 seconds. That eventually resulted in the tenth time. Team Lidl-Trek was the fastest with 9 minutes and 30 seconds. "Despite the situation the ladies were in, they rode a very good time trial", sports director Jos van Emden said.
"They showed that the level is good."
"They started the time trial with five, but luckily Femke was able to join. The ladies battled to the finish and handled the conditions very well. They showed that the level is good. We are looking forward to the rest of the week, where hopefully we can show what we are worth."
Vuelta España Femenina
Stage 1
Result
10
Team Visma | Lease a Bike
00:09:51
Rankings
1
Ellen van Dijk
Lidl - Trek
00:09:30
2
Riejanne Markus
Lidl - Trek
+00:00:00
3
Niamh Fisher-Black
Lidl - Trek
+00:00:00
45
Marianne Vos
Team Visma | Lease a Bike
+00:00:21
46
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot
Team Visma | Lease a Bike
+00:00:21
47
Femke de Vries
Team Visma | Lease a Bike
+00:00:21
48
Marion Bunel
Team Visma | Lease a Bike
+00:00:21
49
Viktória Chladoňová
Team Visma | Lease a Bike
+00:00:21
82
Maud Oudeman
Team Visma | Lease a Bike
+00:00:37
138
Imogen Wolff
Team Visma | Lease a Bike
+00:01:37
