The Volta opens with a short prologue time trial that actually measures at 4500 metres slightly longer than the pre-released parcours. Still it is not a desperately long test and should play in the hands of the specialists such as Marcel Kittel
and Dennis Van Winden
No big favourites in the early clutch of finishers the best three times after about 30 finishers comes from Jesus Tendero Jurgen Van Goolen
and Viktor Renäng
with the order being:
Tendero
6.17
Van Goolen
6.17
Renang
6.18
These times seem to indicate that the winning time will be from the rider who can get round the couse in as close to six minutes as possible. In the next clutch of 75 or so riders we get a number of high class TT specialists such as
Dennis Van Winden
Hugues Mottin
Vesuvio pair Marcel Kittel
and
Michael Ford
with also former German TT champion Sebastian Lang
These five have very little to choose between them and it is the Australian Ford who just edges the battle of pure TTers.
1
Ford
6.09
2
Van Winden
6.10
3
Kittel
6.10
4
Mottin
6.11
5
Lang
6.11
The prologue also serves as a chance to show each rider one by one before they set off on the challenging route. The designated leaders of each team start last and a number of these will have all the data and technical information from previous starters.
The first leader to threaten the top five is Timofey Kritskiy
who finishes just behind 5th placed Lang on hundredths of seconds.
Also in this category is former Santander rider David Abal
It will be fascinating to see how the Spanish riders do on the GC here with a high number of quality stage racers here no doubt in preparation for the Vuelta later on in the year. Abal like Kritskiy is hundredths off of breaking into the top five.
This clearly does show that the team leaders can produce something exceptional, some of the early finishers expressed surprise at the gradient coming up the final kilometre. Next we see one of the million euro men, the Carmuese gamble and last years individual CTour champion Rein Taaramäe
The Estonian perhaps is starting to pay off already as he manages to slot into second place with a very decent 6.06 at the finish.
1
Plaza
6.03
2
Taaramäe
6.06
3
Ford
6.09
4
Van Winden
6.10
5
Kittel
6.10
Spanish team leaders are now on the course, three of which will no doubt harbour ambitions of the overall and perhaps could challenge today.
Beñat Intxausti
Justo Tenorio
and Alberto Contador
Contador and Intxausti are very strong against the clock but not amongst the best though both will not be too disappointed with their times at 6.12 and 6.11 reespectively. Whooping screams of delight from the corporate area of Spanish bank Santander tells us one thing that Tenorio has set a strong time.
It's 6.02! Wow Plaza sizzling time has been beaten by Santander's team leader.
1
Tenorio
6.02
2
Plaza
6.03
3
Taaramäe
6.06
4
Ford
6.09
5
Van Winden
6.10
In the scenes of jubilation, there is some nervous looks back as Aleksandr Pluchkin
storms up the final kilometre. It looks good but with 150m left the six minute mark is up and Pluchkin comes in with a time of 6.09 good enough for fifth today.
Tenorio takes the win then as the riders depart on this mountainous Catalunya route.
