Fine debut on Canyon's TT bike

Spanish time trial champion just short for maiden top-ten finish abroad in 2018: finishes 5" behind first leader Lisa Klein (CSR) at Cessange's prologue.

Álava native Lourdes Oyarbide led a more-than-decent performance from the whole Movistar Team at the prologue of the Festival Elsy Jacobs (UCI 2.1), a 2.8km course in Cessange -in the outskirts of Luxembourg city- with a tough starting climb, technical sections and overall fast speeds.

Just four hundredths of a second left the Spanish time trial champion -11th in today’s TT- off what could have been her first top-ten finish of the 2018 season out of Spanish territory. The Egino-born cyclist was the top performer from a quite strong Blue squad, with five of its six members finishing within the top 35 and less than 15″ behind Lisa Klein (CSR), first leader of the race with the same time of Dutchwoman Amy Pieters (DLT, 2nd).

Friday’s prologue brought the first time gaps to a really open race, which will continue with a tricky, rolling stage one on Saturday around Steinfort (98km), climbing to Koerich (300m at almost 8%) six times before the finish.

Pictures (c): Esteban Peña