Welcome to the first stage of the 2017 Vuelta a Espana, the grand tour starts in Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia, a city of about 210.000 inhabitants. The city is famous for its Sherry production.
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The route is almost flat, but we have a little undulation on the 2nd part. There will be an intermediate time check after 5.5 km.
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Gazelle starts the race, being one of the favorite teams they are expected to clock a good time, showing what times we should expect to see. They pass the time check in 6’24
Gazelle
Evonik next to pass the time check coming over in 6’48, 24” is a lot to lose on just 5.5 km not looking that good.
Ayubowan! next 6’44, better but not much.
Then comes Porto – Prio one of the top 3 favored teams, passing the time check in 6’27, just 3” behind Gazelle.
Porto - Prio
Iberia - Team Degenkolb next to pass the time check, 6’38 third best at the moment.
Gazelle get the first full time 14’30, could look like they will hold the hot-seat for a while.
Pendleton's pass over the intermediate time check 6’34 slightly better than Iberia
Evonik full time 15’21”
Next to pass the time check is Strava, 6’41 17 seconds behind Gazelle
Ayubowan! full time 15’11
Not to get confused by all these times let’s take a look at the leaderboard (by time check)
Jersey
Team
Int. Dif
Intermediate
Full dif.
Full time
Gazelle
00:00:00
00:06:24
00:00:00
00:14:30
Porto - Prio
00:00:03
00:06:27
-
-
Pendleton's
00:00:10
00:06:34
-
-
Iberia - Team Degenkolb
00:00:14
00:06:38
-
-
Strava
00:00:17
00:06:41
-
-
Ayubowan!
00:00:20
00:06:44
00:00:41
00:15:11
Evonik
00:00:24
00:06:48
00:00:51
00:15:21
eBuddy next to pass in time check 6’34 same time as Pendleton's
Porto - Prio have been fast on the 2nd section cutting 10” of Gazelle 2nd sector, getting new best full time 14’23”
Spotify – Haglöfs pass the time check in 6’36, 5th.
Iberia - Team Degenkolb full time 15’10 with a disappointing 2nd sector.
Next over the time check Nemiroff – ABBYY 6’28 third best just 4” behind Gazelle
Nemiroff - ABBYY
Pendleton's full time 14’54
Next to pass the tie check Valio – DeLaval with 6’41 same time as Strava
Strava crosses the line with a full time of 15’07
Let’s take another look at the leaderboard.
Jersey
Team
Intermediate
Jersey
Team
2nd sector
Full time
Gazelle
00:06:24
Porto - Prio
00:07:56
00:14:23
Porto - Prio
00:06:27
Gazelle
00:08:06
00:14:30
Nemiroff - ABBYY
00:06:28
Pendleton's
00:08:20
00:14:54
Pendleton's
00:06:34
Strava
00:08:26
00:15:07
eBuddy
00:06:34
Iberia
00:08:32
00:15:10
Spotify - Haglöfs
00:06:36
Ayubowan!
00:08:27
00:15:11
Iberia
00:06:38
Evonik
00:08:33
00:15:21
Strava
00:06:41
eBuddy
-
-
Valio - DeLaval
00:06:41
Spotify - Haglöfs
-
-
Ayubowan!
00:06:44
Nemiroff - ABBYY
-
-
Evonik
00:06:48
Valio - DeLaval
-
-
Next over the time check Wiesenhof - Andritz 6’48 not impressive
With a very good 2nd sector, eBuddy crosses the finish line in a full time of 14’49, 3rd best time so far.
eBuddy
Aker – MOT crosses the time check in 6’31, 4th best.
Also Spotify – Haglöfs with a fine 2nd sector, full time 14’51 (4th).
Festina – Dexia next to cross the time check 6’35
Nemiroff – ABBYY crosses the finish line, clocking the next best 2nd sector now just 2” behind Gazelle in full time 14’32
Next over the time check is RBC Pro Cycling with 6’38
Valio – DeLaval next to set a full time 14’58
Next to cross the time check is stage favorite Tinkoff Sport Academy in 6’28, 4 seconds behind Gazelle and 1 sec behind Porto – Prio’s first sector, need to be fast to win this stage.
Tinkoff Sport Academy
Wiesenhof come in with 15’16, outside top 10.
Let’s take another look at the leaderboard:
Jersey
Team
1st sector
Jersey
Team
2nd sector
Full time
Gazelle
00:06:24
Porto - Prio
00:07:56
00:14:23
Porto - Prio
00:06:27
Gazelle
00:08:06
00:14:30
Nemiroff - ABBYY
00:06:28
Nemiroff - ABBYY
00:08:04
00:14:32
Tinkoff Sport
00:06:28
eBuddy
00:08:15
00:14:49
Aker - MOT
00:06:31
Spotify - Haglöfs
00:08:15
00:14:51
Pendleton's
00:06:34
Pendleton's
00:08:20
00:14:54
eBuddy
00:06:34
Valio - DeLaval
00:08:17
00:14:58
Festina - Dexia
00:06:35
Strava
00:08:26
00:15:07
Spotify - Haglöfs
00:06:36
Iberia
00:08:32
00:15:10
Iberia
00:06:38
Ayubowan!
00:08:27
00:15:11
RBC Pro Cycling
00:06:38
Wiesenhof
00:08:28
00:15:16
Strava
00:06:41
Evonik
00:08:33
00:15:21
Valio - DeLaval
00:06:41
Aker - MOT
-
-
Ayubowan!
00:06:44
Festina - Dexia
-
-
Evonik
00:06:48
RBC Pro Cycling
-
-
Wiesenhof
00:06:48
Tinkoff Sport
-
-
Next team to cross the time check is Team Puma – SAP with 6’43 in the low end of the 1 sector ranking.
Aker – MOT has a little slower 2nd sector than eBuddy, just enough to end behind them as provisionary 5th, in the same time 14’49.
Not amongst the stage favorites Moser - Sygic set a very fine 1 sector time in 6’33 just 9” down on Gazelle
With a great 2nd sector Festina-Dexia come in at full time 14’49 between eBuddy and Aker – MOT all three teams in the same time, some final calculation may be needed.
Euskaltel passes the time check in 6’37, not that bad.
With a rather bad 2nd sector RBC Pro Cycling finish in full time 15’08, outside top 10.
Next at the time check is Jayco - Cobra9 as expected a pretty good time, 6’29 just 5” behind Gazelle
Jayco - Cobra9
Stages favorite Tinkoff Sport Academy clock a full time 14’34, as a top favorite maybe a bit disappointing, provisional 4th
Next team at the time check is Hugo Boss 6’42 Team Puma – SAP a full time 15’06, outside top 10
Next at the time check we got Aegon – Lavazza in 6’34 a few seconds slower than what could be expected, have to be fast on 2nd sector.
Starting out fine Moser – Sygic has a bad 2nd sector, clocking a full time 14’58 same time is Valio – DeLaval, just outside top 10.
Last team is now at the time check, Vesuvio – Accumalux gets a 6’30 time, 6” behind Gazelle a respectable time provided they can hold the pace.
Vesuvio - Accumalux
Euskaltel clock a full time 15’02, outside top 10
Now every team has passed the intermediate time check, we just need four team at the finish.
Jayco - Cobra9 get a bad 2nd sector ending in 14’49 behind eBuddy, four teams now at that time.
Hugo Boss comes in at 15’06, outside top 10
Aegon - Lavazza just manages to get a provisional 10th with 14’53, not their day.
The last team starting today Vesuvio – Accumalux on the other hand, clock a little better although not great 2nd sector, enough for a top 5 final time.
The full (provisional) leaderboard, may be small adjustments in the official results posted beneath this, haven’t checked it all.
Mj
Team
1st sector
Mj
Team
2nd sector
Full time
Gazelle
00:06:24
Porto - Prio
00:07:56
00:14:23
Porto - Prio
00:06:27
Gazelle
00:08:06
00:14:30
Nemiroff - ABBYY
00:06:28
Nemiroff - ABBYY
00:08:04
00:14:32
Tinkoff Sport
00:06:28
Tinkoff Sport
00:08:06
00:14:34
Jayco - Cobra9
00:06:29
Vesuvio - Accumalux
00:08:17
00:14:47
Vesuvio - Accumalux
00:06:30
eBuddy
00:08:15
00:14:49
Aker - MOT
00:06:31
Jayco - Cobra9
00:08:20
00:14:49
Moser - Sygic
00:06:33
Festina - Dexia
00:08:14
00:14:49
Pendleton's
00:06:34
Aker - MOT
00:08:18
00:14:49
eBuddy
00:06:34
Spotify - Haglöfs
00:08:15
00:14:51
Aegon - Lavazza
00:06:34
Aegon - Lavazza
00:08:19
00:14:53
Festina - Dexia
00:06:35
Pendleton's
00:08:20
00:14:54
Spotify - Haglöfs
00:06:36
Valio - DeLaval
00:08:17
00:14:58
Euskaltel
00:06:37
Moser - Sygic
00:08:25
00:14:58
Iberia
00:06:38
Euskaltel
00:08:25
00:15:02
RBC Pro Cycling
00:06:38
Team Puma - SAP
00:08:23
00:15:06
Strava
00:06:41
Hugo Boss
00:08:24
00:15:06
Valio - DeLaval
00:06:41
Strava
00:08:26
00:15:07
Hugo Boss
00:06:42
RBC Pro Cycling
00:08:30
00:15:08
Team Puma - SAP
00:06:43
Iberia
00:08:32
00:15:10
Ayubowan!
00:06:44
Ayubowan!
00:08:27
00:15:11
Evonik
00:06:48
Wiesenhof
00:08:28
00:15:16
Wiesenhof
00:06:48
Evonik
00:08:33
00:15:21
Some notable riders to lose additional time compared to their team, Nikias Arndt (Team Puma – SAP), Daan Olivier (Aegon – Lavazza), Leopold König (Vesuvio – Accumalux), Ian Bibby (Gazelle)
[PTM] Vuelta a Espana 
