Vuelta a España (st. 1)
Young Spaniard crashes just under two kilometers into Vuelta's opening team time trial in Nîmes; suffers blow to wrist, with no fractures. Movistar team-mates complete notable performance, 8th, just 24" behind winners BMC
The 2017 Vuelta a España started with an early scare for the Movistar Team riders, with a crash in the beginning of Saturday's 13.7km team time trial in Nîmes (France). Young Spaniard Jorge Arcas crashed into a sharp turn right, just before the narrow access to the Arènes amphitheatre, after just 1.5 kilometers covered.
Hurt by several blows to his body, including a major one to his left wrist, Arcas was dropped from the Blue train and had to complete the full TTT alone. Checkups after the stage ruled out any fractures or muscular injuries, meaning that the Spaniard is free to take the start of stage two on Sunday.
With their eight remaining riders, the Movistar Team made nonetheless a notable performance with a group mainly consisting of young climbers. The lads directed by Eusebio Unzué (16'22"), who got into the final kilometer together, conceded only 24" at the line against the BMC Racing Team, stage winners and first GC leaders with Rohan Dennis. The Spanish outfit took 8th place.
Arcas and his team-mates will have to tackle on Sunday what is probably the flattest stage in years at the Vuelta: 203km near the coast, en route to Gruissan, before getting back to Spain on Monday and tackling the first big climbs of the race in Andorra.
Picture (c): Photo Gomez Sport / Luis Ángel Gómez