Denmark's Julius Johansen was the last rider to start the opening stage of O Gran Camiño, a 14.8-kilometre individual time trial in the city of A Coruña, but the 26-year-old was strong enough to secure both first place and the first victory of his career.
Second, 16 seconds back, in the largely urban test finishing near the ancient lighthouse of Torre de Hércules was Rafael Reis, Johansen's old teammate at Portu Anicolor Campicarn.
Article continues belowHow it unfolded
Spanish National TT Champion Abel Balderstone (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) set the first key time to beat of 18:41. However, 21-year-old Jørgen Nordhagen (Visma-Lease a Bike) followed up his breakthrough top ten overall at the UAE Tour earlier this year by demolishing Balderstone's time with a result of 18:11.
Interest was very high in how leading favourite, Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) would fare on the rolling course and he looked at least on the short but challenging category 4 climb, the 1.5 kilometre San Pedro, in the first half, and over the two-kilometre paved section further on around the very exposed headland overlooking the city that followed.
Setting the fastest time at checkpoint number 2 after 7.5 kilometres, Yates then pounded along the broad boulevards of A Coruña sea front at full speed and blasted up the final short 250 metres rise to Torre de Hércules with a time 13 seconds short of the Norwegian. That might not be enough for what would have been Yates' first-ever pro time trial win at 33, but nonetheless would prove sufficient to ensure he was the best-placed of the favourites for the overall.
Yates was powerless to stop the Movistar veteran Nelson Oliveira, formerly a well-known time trialist, from cutting 11 seconds off Nordhagen's time and putting himself in pole position to take what would have been his first victory in a decade. But Oliveira's hopes of rolling back the years were then dashed when he was pipped to the line by Rafael Reis (Anicolor Campicarn), the former European TT champion, who produced a storming second half to move ahead by one second.
It could have been a winning performance for Iván Romeo (Movistar), but after a promising start, he was affected by one of numerous punctures on the cobbled section, which led to much hand-waving, cursing, a bike change, and a complete loss of any chance of victory.
The rider who finally took the win, Johansen, had his own difficulties, too, with a possibly incorrectly calibrated power meter, he said later, showing him an output of 30 Watts, which he had predicted. However, the information radioed through from the teamcar looked solid enough, with a nine second advantage on the previous best time of Romeo at the first checkpoint, continuing with a five-second lead on runner-up Yates at the second check, and victory at the finish.
Discussing the lack of correct power information, Johansen said later, "Of course, it was frustrating. But I'm just extremely proud of what I did. I didn't have a clue what time it'd end in, and if I would be best time, top five or top ten."
"Then, when they told me I won, I almost couldn't believe it. Sitting here now is amazing."
Results
Pos | Rider | Time |
|---|---|---|
1 | Julius Johansen (Den) UAE Team Emirates-XRG | 0:17:43 |
2 | Rafael Reis (Por) Anicolor/Campicarn | 00:00:16 |
3 | Nelson Oliveira (Por) Movistar Team | 00:00:17 |
4 | Jørgen Nordhagen (Nor) Visma-Lease a Bike | 00:00:28 |
5 | Jakub Otruba (Cze) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | 00:00:39 |
6 | Adam Richard Yates (GBr) UAE Team Emirates-XRG | 00:00:41 |
7 | Patryk Goszczurny (Pol) Team Visma | Lease A Bike Development | 00:00:45 |
8 | Alessandro Pinarello (Ita) NSN Cycling Team | 00:00:46 |
9 | Carlos Salgueiro (Por) Team Tavira /Crédito Agricola | 00:00:53 |
10 | Enzo Leijnse (Ned) Anicolor/Campicarn | 00:00:55 |
11 | Kevin Vermaerke (USA) UAE Team Emirates-XRG | 00:00:56 |
12 | Filipe Francisco (Por) Aviludo - Louletano - Loulé | 00:00:57 |
13 | Abel Balderstone Roumens (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | 00:00:58 |
14 | Diego Uriarte Belzunegi (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma | 00:01:00 |
15 | Txomin Juaristi Arrieta (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi | 00:01:02 |
16 | Emanuel Duarte (Por) Credibom / La Alumínios / Marcos Car | 00:01:07 |
17 | Lucas Lopes (Por) Efapel Cycling | 00:01:09 |
18 | Carlos Canal Blanco (Spa) Movistar Team | 00:01:10 |
19 | Vegard Stake Laengen (Nor) UAE Team Emirates-XRG | 00:01:11 |
20 | Artem Nych (Rus) Anicolor/Campicarn | 00:01:17 |
21 | Tijmen Graat (Ned) Visma-Lease a Bike | 00:01:17 |
22 | Gorka Sorarrain Agirrezabala (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | 00:01:19 |
23 | George Bennett (NZl) NSN Cycling Team | 00:01:20 |
24 | Antonio Eric Fagundez Lima (Uru) Burgos Burpellet BH | 00:01:21 |
25 | Louis Sutton (GBr) Euskaltel-Euskadi | 00:01:23 |
26 | Zachary Marriage (Aus) Nsn Development Team | 00:01:24 |
27 | Anton Schiffer (Ger) Visma-Lease a Bike | 00:01:24 |
28 | Ivan Romeo Abad (Spa) Movistar Team | 00:01:30 |
29 | Jose Felix Parra Cuerda (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | 00:01:30 |
30 | Ailetz Lasa Lizarraga (Spa) Team Tavira /Crédito Agricola | 00:01:30 |
31 | Aleksandr Grigorev (Rus) Efapel Cycling | 00:01:31 |
32 | Samuel Fernandez Garcia (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | 00:01:31 |
33 | Finlay Tarling (GBr) Nsn Development Team | 00:01:35 |
34 | Mats Wenzel (Lux) Equipo Kern Pharma | 00:01:38 |
35 | Carlos Garcia Pierna (Spa) Burgos Burpellet BH | 00:01:38 |
36 | Alexis Guerin (Fra) Anicolor/Campicarn | 00:01:38 |
37 | Nadav Raisberg (Isr) NSN Cycling Team | 00:01:39 |
38 | Keegam Swirbul (USA) Efapel Cycling | 00:01:41 |
39 | Ruben Fernandez (Spa) Anicolor/Campicarn | 00:01:42 |
40 | Abdulla Jasim Al-Ali (UAE) Uae Team Emirates Gen-Z | 00:01:42 |
41 | Pedro Silva (Por) Feira Dos Sofás - Boavista | 00:01:43 |
42 | Pablo Carrascosa Miller (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma | 00:01:43 |
43 | Unai Aznar Vijuesca (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi | 00:01:44 |
44 | Jesus Herrada (Spa) Burgos Burpellet BH | 00:01:45 |
45 | Mario Aparicio Muñoz (Spa) Burgos Burpellet BH | 00:01:46 |
46 | David Dominguez Vilchez (Spa) Feira Dos Sofás - Boavista | 00:01:46 |
47 | Pedro Pinto (Por) Efapel Cycling | 00:01:46 |
48 | Daniel Viegas (Por) Aviludo - Louletano - Loulé | 00:01:46 |
49 | Danny van der Tuuk (Pol) Euskaltel-Euskadi | 00:01:47 |
50 | Jacob Roy (Can) Meridian Racing P/B De La Uz | 00:01:48 |
51 | Sven Aleksander Mernik (Slo) Team Visma | Lease A Bike Development | 00:01:51 |
52 | Rúben Rodrigues (Por) Feira Dos Sofás - Boavista | 00:01:52 |
53 | Joaquim Silva (Por) Efapel Cycling | 00:01:52 |
54 | Jon Agirre Egaña (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi | 00:01:53 |
55 | Cláudio Leal (Por) Aviludo - Louletano - Loulé | 00:01:54 |
56 | Jade Rohde (USA) Meridian Racing P/B De La Uz | 00:01:57 |
57 | Andoni Lopez de Abetxuko Jimenez (Spa) Anicolor/Campicarn | 00:01:57 |
58 | Duarte Domingues (Por) Credibom / La Alumínios / Marcos Car | 00:01:59 |
59 | Ibai Azanza Burusco (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma | 00:02:02 |
60 | Antonio Jesus Soto Guirao (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma | 00:02:03 |
61 | Mohammad Almutaiwei (UAE) Uae Team Emirates Gen-Z | 00:02:03 |
62 | Angel Lorenzo Sanchez Rebollido (Spa) Tavfer-Ovos Matinados-Mortágua | 00:02:05 |
63 | Patrick Casey (Irl) Nsn Development Team | 00:02:05 |
64 | Jorge Arcas (Spa) Movistar Team | 00:02:05 |
65 | Noah Campos (Por) Team Tavira /Crédito Agricola | 00:02:05 |
66 | Martin Rey Vazquez (Spa) Burgos Burpellet BH | 00:02:05 |
67 | Jesus David Peña Jimenez (Col) Efapel Cycling | 00:02:10 |
68 | Joshua Lebo (USA) Meridian Racing P/B De La Uz | 00:02:13 |
69 | Rafael Durães (Por) Efapel Cycling | 00:02:13 |
70 | Jesus Del Pino Corrochano (Spa) Aviludo - Louletano - Loulé | 00:02:14 |
71 | Tomas Pombo Alvarez (Spa) Movistar Team Academy | 00:02:14 |
72 | Jan Castellon Ribalta (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | 00:02:17 |
73 | Jorge Galvez Lopez (Spa) Aviludo - Louletano - Loulé | 00:02:19 |
74 | Sinuhe Fernandez Rodriguez (Spa) Burgos Burpellet BH | 00:02:19 |
75 | Alvaro Garcia Gimenez (Spa) Nsn Development Team | 00:02:20 |
76 | Mikel Retegi Goñi (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma | 00:02:20 |
77 | Gonçalo Leaça (Por) Credibom / La Alumínios / Marcos Car | 00:02:26 |
78 | João Matias (Por) Tavfer-Ovos Matinados-Mortágua | 00:02:27 |
79 | Benjamin Juracich (USA) Meridian Racing P/B De La Uz | 00:02:28 |
80 | Sergio Geovani Chumil Gonzalez (Gua) Burgos Burpellet BH | 00:02:30 |
81 | Guilherme Mestre (Por) Team Tavira /Crédito Agricola | 00:02:31 |
82 | Rafael Barbas (Por) Tavfer-Ovos Matinados-Mortágua | 00:02:35 |
83 | João Silva (Por) Feira Dos Sofás - Boavista | 00:02:38 |
84 | Samuel Fernandez Heres (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi | 00:02:38 |
85 | João Oliveira (Por) Credibom / La Alumínios / Marcos Car | 00:02:44 |
86 | None (Cze) Movistar Team | 00:02:45 |
87 | Finnegan Murphy (NZl) Meridian Racing P/B De La Uz | 00:02:45 |
88 | Diogo Pinto (Por) Credibom / La Alumínios / Marcos Car | 00:02:51 |
89 | Hugo Nunes (Por) Credibom / La Alumínios / Marcos Car | 00:02:51 |
90 | Santiago Mesa Pietralunga (Col) Anicolor/Campicarn | 00:02:51 |
91 | Lois Dejesus Guisande (Spa) Tavfer-Ovos Matinados-Mortágua | 00:02:52 |
92 | Simão Lucas (Por) Tavfer-Ovos Matinados-Mortágua | 00:02:59 |
93 | João António (Por) Aviludo - Louletano - Loulé | 00:03:00 |
94 | João Medeiros (Por) Credibom / La Alumínios / Marcos Car | 00:03:00 |
95 | William Smith (GBr) Team Visma | Lease A Bike Development | 00:03:03 |
96 | Davide Formolo (Ita) Movistar Team | 00:03:14 |
97 | Afonso Lopes (Por) Feira Dos Sofás - Boavista | 00:03:16 |
98 | Xabier Isasa Larrañaga (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi | 00:03:17 |
99 | Gonçalo Carvalho (Por) Tavfer-Ovos Matinados-Mortágua | 00:03:17 |
100 | João Anunciação (Por) Feira Dos Sofás - Boavista | 00:03:18 |
101 | Gabriel Costa (Por) Team Tavira /Crédito Agricola | 00:03:24 |
102 | Ivan Ramiro Sosa Cuervo (Col) Equipo Kern Pharma | 00:03:25 |
103 | Rodrigo Alves (Por) Team Tavira /Crédito Agricola | 00:03:29 |
104 | Tomas Contte (Arg) Aviludo - Louletano - Loulé | 00:03:35 |
105 | Hubert Lamothe (Can) Meridian Racing P/B De La Uz | 00:03:50 |
106 | Pablo Lospitao Gonzalez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | 00:03:53 |
107 | Jose Bicho (Por) Team Tavira /Crédito Agricola | 00:03:53 |
108 | Fábio Costa (Por) Feira Dos Sofás - Boavista | 00:04:27 |
109 | Pelayo Merino Gonzalez (Spa) Meridian Racing P/B De La Uz | 00:05:39 |
110 | Diego Lopez Cano (Spa) Tavfer-Ovos Matinados-Mortágua | 00:08:12 |
