Vuelta 2018: Stage 1 – Dennis in the red

While it might be difficult to pick a clear favourite for the overall in this year’s Vuelta a Espana, it wasn’t for today’s Stage 1 individual time trial. Michal Kwiatkowski put in a spirited bid for victory, but BMC’s Rohan Dennis didn’t buckle under the pressure from the Polish Sky rider and came in 6 seconds to the good, taking the Vuelta’s first red jersey.

Rider of the Race

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Rohan Dennis has had a pretty good Grand Tour season, wearing the maglia rosa in this year’s Giro d’Italia and today, taking the first maillot rojo of Vuelta 2018. It’s the second consecutive Vuelta that he has worn the red jersey after an opening time trial – although this time, he did it all himself, as last year’s was a TTT. Dennis also leads in the points jersey and the combined jersey competition. The climbers jersey goes to Movistar’s Nelson Oliveira.

Tomorrow’s stage is classified as ‘flat’, which, in Vuelta-speak, means it only has one Cat 2 (almost right off the bat) and three Cat 3s, including the finishing climb into Caminito Del Rey. Considering that this is the most wide open Vuelta in years, there could be some unexpected attacks from either GC guys who didn’t do brilliantly today or just someone out of the blue, looking for a stage win and taking the red in the process.