SloveniaTadej Pogačar, the Slovenian cyclist who recently won his fifth Tour de France, secured victory in the opening stage of the Vuelta a Espana, the last Grand Tour of the season. He narrowly beat British rider Ethan Hayter by nine hundredths of a second in a time trial held in Monaco, where Pogačar resides. Pogačar highlighted the significance of racing on familiar terrain, noting that the challenging final section of the course around his apartment was something he regularly navigates. He expressed surprise at winning the time trial by such a small margin and mentioned that maintaining the red jersey throughout the race will be difficult, as several riders are positioned to challenge him. The second stage of the Vuelta features a long route with significant elevation gains.
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