MONTE CARLO, Aug 22 (Reuters) – Tadej Pogacar got straight down to business as he opened his quest to win the Vuelta a Espana for the first time by snatching victory in the opening time trial in Monaco on Saturday.
Little more than two months after the roar of Formula One cars echoed around the streets of the glitzy principality, the world’s fastest cyclist relied purely on leg and lung power to underline his superiority.
Seven years after his only previous appearance at the Spanish race, since when he has won five Tour de France titles and a Giro d’Italia, the UAE Emirates rider laid down an immediate marker to break the heart of Britain’s Ethan Hayter.
Hayter had looked on course to win the 9.4km time trial and take the red jersey at the 81st edition of the Vuelta.
But Slovenia’s Pogacar, the penultimate starter of the 184 riders, had other ideas as he rolled down the start ramp from the marbled floors of Monte Carlo’s glitzy casino.
Few would wager against a rider who dominated last month’s Tour de France to move alongside the greats of the past, although he was marginally down on the split times.
He produced a devastating late burst through the final curves though to claim his 20th victory of the season.
Britain’s Josh Tarling finished an emotional third fastest having decided to race eight days after the death of his 19-year-old brother Fin at the Volta a Portugal.
“It was just great to have him here and he was really keen to ride and get back to the day job,” his Netcompany-Ineos race director Geraint Thomas told TNT Sports.
“It’s unimaginable what he has gone through the last week and to put in a performance like that shows his class. We will try to be normal around him and support him as best we can.”
Monaco became the seventh non-Spain start for the Vuelta and the fourth in five years after Piemonte last year, Lisbon in 2024 and Utrecht in 2022.
It proved a fitting launch pad for the last Grand Tour of the year and one which could see Pogacar become only the ninth rider to win all three.
After a relatively gentle start, things will quickly toughen up on Sunday with a hilly 214km stage from Monaco to Manosque.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Ken Ferris)
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