Tour de San Luis: Etixx-Quickstep wins opening team time trial

Etixx-QuickStep threw down the gauntlet on the Tour de San Luis on Monday, winning the opening team time trial by eight seconds over the Movistar team of Nairo Quintana. The team was led across the line by Argentinean Max Richeze, who will don the first leader's jersey of the 2016 edition.

Astana were the third fastest, 17 seconds behind the Belgian team.

UnitedHealthcare led the way from the early starters, with Colombian Carlos Alzate leading the team across the line with a solid 24:47. The time was strong enough to fend off the first WorldTour team across the line, AG2R La Mondiale, who fell two seconds shy of unseating the North American squad.

The Italian Lampre-Merida team had an even harder time matching the leaders, coming in 21 seconds behind UnitedHealthcare's mark.

Tinkoff Team set a new fast time at the intermediate check, going fractions of a second quicker than AG2R, but were better able to hold the pace, and crushed UHC's time - setting a new fast mark of 24:16.

Meanwhile, out on course, Etixx-QuickStep were going even faster, coming 12 seconds quicker at the intermediate check. The former world champions in the discipline kept up their furiuos pace, and blasted across the line as the first team to crack the 24-minute mark with a 23:53.

Four teams stood a chance at breaking that mark, with Movistar the last off the ramp.

The continental team Holowesko-Citadel slotted into the top ten, not threatening Etixx-QuickStep, but behind them, Astana trailed by a single second behind Etixx at the intermediate check.

However, by the time Vincenzo Nibali pulled them across the line, they had ceded 17 seconds to the Belgian team.

Cannondale left Rigoberto Uran with a lot of work to do in the coming stages, giving up almost a minute on the stage leaders.

Movistar, the last team through with favourite Quintana, limited their losses to just eight seconds, coming second on the stage ahead of Astana.

Results

General Classification after stage 1