Vuelta a España 2023 – Stage 1 preview
August 26: Barcelona - Barcelona, 14.8km, team time trial
Stage 1: Barcelona to Barcelona
Date: August 26
Distance: 14.8km
Stage type: Team time trial
For the second year in a row and the third time in five years, the Vuelta a España will kick off with a team time trial. Following tests in Torrevieja in 2019 and Utrecht last year, the 2023 race will begin with a TTT in Barcelona.
The 14.8km stage isn't purely flat, featuring minimal elevation as the 22 teams race along the city streets, starting at the beachfront and taking on a succession of largely right-angle bends on a technical course before finishing in front of the famous fountain at Montjuïc Park.
With the stage length measuring in at 9km shorter than the 23km TTT from stage 1 last year, time gaps should be smaller than the two minutes which separated the squads in Utrecht. At the top of the standings, expect the top teams to be separated by mere seconds as the first red jersey of the race is awarded.
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Dani Ostanek is Senior News Writer at Cyclingnews, joining in 2017 as a freelance contributor and later being hired full-time. Before joining the team, they had written for numerous major publications in the cycling world, including CyclingWeekly and Rouleur.
Dani has reported from the world's top races, including the Tour de France, Road World Championships, and the spring Classics. They have interviewed many of the sport's biggest stars, including Mathieu van der Poel, Demi Vollering, and Remco Evenepoel. Their favourite races are the Giro d'Italia, Strade Bianche and Paris-Roubaix.
Season highlights from the 2024 season include reporting from Paris-Roubaix – 'Unless I'm in an ambulance, I'm finishing this race' – Cyrus Monk, the last man home at Paris-Roubaix – and the Tour de France – 'Disbelief', gratitude, and family – Mark Cavendish celebrates a record-breaking Tour de France sprint win.
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