00:03Welcome to the 81st edition of La Vuelta.
00:07This year the tour of Spain starts in Monaco, home to many of the world's top riders.
00:12Among them is the four-time winner Primoz Roglic, who lines up as number one, but the
00:17Slovenian suffered a bad crash in training a few weeks ago, a big blow to his GC hopes.
00:26Yeah, I'm here, you know, so yes, on Saturday we start, but for sure, yeah, normally the
00:33plan is preparation towards the race, but now I have to do, yeah, rehabilitation towards
00:39the race, so, yeah.
00:41Another Slovenian has grabbed all of the pre-race headlines.
00:45Tadej Pigaccia is back at La Vuelta for the first time since 2019, when he won three stages
00:50and came third overall.
00:52Now the world champion is the overwhelming favourite for victory.
00:56It's a big favourite and, yeah, maybe he is a bit tired, but I still think, yeah, it's
01:03almost impossible to beat him, so, yeah, but at the end of the day I focus on myself, doesn't
01:10really matter who is here, and then, yeah, we see what's possible at the end of those
01:14three weeks.
01:15I think it's quite clear who the main favourite is, but after that then there's quite a lot
01:21of, quite a lot of it is quite similar, I'd say, so it can be quite tight.
01:27Pigaccia is one of the Monaco residents who will be hoping to make home advantage count
01:31in today's individual time trial.
01:33A first opportunity to take his first red jersey.
01:37There's a big field of competitors for the first stage here, but, yeah, I will give my
01:44everything.
01:45I know the road's pretty well, but, yeah, it's pretty technical.
01:49There's going to be no room for mistakes, I think, and, yeah, it will be difficult, but
01:55I will give my best.
01:58Today's ITT is a short one of just 9.4 kilometres around the principality, but it's very technical,
02:05with lots of twists and turns.
02:07It's the seventh time that La Vuelta has kicked off outside Spain, and Monaco becomes the first
02:12city to have hosted the grander part of all three grand tours after the Giro in 1966 and
02:18won the tour in 2009.
02:24Diego Uriarte of Kern Farmer had the honour of getting this Vuelta underway at 4.17pm.
02:30One of 61 rookies and 65 riders competing in the youth classification, he set a benchmark
02:36of 11 minutes and 51 seconds.
02:40One of the early contenders was Bruno Armouray, the three-time French time trial champion, but
02:45his day was ruined by a mechanical frustration for the Visma Lisa bike man who wouldn't be
02:51fighting for the win.
02:53One of his compatriots, though, Jordan Labrosse, was all-in for Decathlon CMA CGM, going into
03:00the hot seat by 17 seconds, an average of just under 50 kilometres an hour.
03:06There were lots of corners, so it actually suited me.
03:11This is day one, though, so I didn't take too many risks.
03:14I could probably have gone a bit faster in some of the corners, but that wasn't the
03:18goal today.
03:19I'm not going to win, I don't think, but setting the best time is really nice.
03:22I'm happy.
03:23It was a good TT.
03:26Could this be enough to take the fastest time and throw his teammate out of the hot seat,
03:32Jordan Labrosse?
03:33Well, it was good while it lasted.
03:35Sanna De Pestel goes to the top and knocks his teammate Jordan Labrosse, the boss, off
03:40the top step.
03:43Well, De Pestel didn't even have time to sit down before he was ousted by Matthew Brennan.
03:48The young British star has already claimed seven wins this season and he was looking
03:52to start his first Grand Tour with a bang.
04:00Let's see how long this sit is going to be for Matthew Brennan in the hot seat.
04:06After Kluckers, the Luxembourgish rider of Tudor Pro Cycling, comes through the finish
04:11line.
04:12He takes the best time.
04:13Five seconds to the good.
04:15Well, Kluckers now on top, but Decathlon had clearly done their homework.
04:20Their Aussie youngster, Oscar Chamberlain, junior ITT world champion in 23 and now living
04:25in Monaco, soon went fastest in 11 minutes and six seconds.
04:37Decathlon continuing their assault with Leo Bisio, the best young rider at the recent
04:41Tour of Burgos, but then it was time for British riders to take centre stage.
04:46Callum Thornley going quickest for Red Bull Bora Hansgrower before a moment of emotion
04:50with Josh Tarling, whose brother Finlay tragically died at the Tour of Portugal last week.
04:55The former European champion with a remarkable performance to go into the hot seat.
05:00But it was the four-time British champion, Ethan Hayter, who got the better of his compatriots.
05:05The Sudell quick-step man on top at the intermediate sprint and holding it to the line four seconds
05:11faster than Tarling.
05:14I'm really happy, obviously.
05:15It's been difficult.
05:19It was really hard.
05:20I was quite nervous before with all the...
05:22I don't know how technically it was, but I wasn't perfect, but probably nobody was.
05:26And I think I did a good ride and got everything out by the end.
05:32Wabanat, Tadej Pogacar and Primoz Roglic were among the last to go, but could they beat Hayter's time?
05:38Pogacar just three seconds down at the intermediate split with nearly 4k to make the difference.
05:45He comes out of the tunnel.
05:46He sprints into the hoardings, sprints into the barriers.
05:50The time is still green.
05:51On his return to the Vuelta Espana, can Tadej Pogacar take the stage victory?
05:56He's still got to wait for the final rider.
05:59He's going to be close on the line.
06:01Wow!
06:020.09 of a second.
06:06A nail-biting finale and a 20th victory of the season for the insatiable Tadej Pogacar.
06:13We left him on the Champs Elysees celebrating a record-equalling fifth Tour de France title
06:17after putting on a show with Mathieu van der Poel.
06:20Four weeks later, he looks ready to conquer his first Vuelta and complete the Grand Tour hat-trick.
06:26Pogacar in red.
06:27His thoughts after the race, though, were for Josh Tarling.
06:30Yeah, when I was going to the start line, I saw that Josh has the best time.
06:37I really wish he wins today.
06:39No, for sure.
06:40I will give my best, but, you know, it was this kind of strange moment and I was really rooting
06:46myself for Josh as well.
06:48And then I come to intermediate and I hear a different name.
06:53I hear Ethan Hayter is in front of me by three seconds.
06:57And then, yeah, I say, OK, I give it all, but no risk and see what happens.
07:03So, yeah, I really would like to see Josh do good in this Vuelta and, yeah.
07:10Pogacar setting the turn for what could be a dominant three weeks, although there were only 11 seconds separating the
07:16top ten.
07:16The world champion leading in three Brits and two Frenchmen, with a strong showing from Christophe Laporte in fifth.
07:24Pogacar shrugging on La Roja for the first time in his career after taking his 36th Grand Tour stage win.
07:30Roglic 22 seconds down, with Skjelmosa and Carapace at around 30 seconds and Felix Gall at 46.
07:38Pogacar picked up 20 points for his win, so he's the early leader in the green jersey competition,
07:43though there are 30 points on offer for the winner of stage two, so there'll be a shake-up tomorrow.
07:49He also theoretically leads the mountains classification, although no points were handed out today,
07:54and Thornley will wear polka dots in Sunday's second stage.
07:59Well, finally, Tarling holds the white jersey as the best young rider ahead of Thornley and Bisio.
08:04La Vuelta 26 is underway, and tomorrow the sprinters will get a rare opportunity.
08:09Join us for that on Sunday, and thanks for watching.
08:12Good evening.
08:14.
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