Amid the challenging conditions, BikeExchange-Jayco emerged as provisional leaders from the opening time trial, posting the fastest early time of 25 minutes and 11 seconds on the Utrecht course.
After sitting in the hot seat for 40 minutes, INEOS Grenadiers crossed the line 18 seconds faster than the Australian outfit before Jumbo-Visma won the day, finishing 31 seconds ahead of BikeExchange-Jayco as Dutchman Robert Gesink took the red jersey.
Team leader Simon Yates said BikeExchange-Jayco's riders were pleased to have ‘survived’ the stage on a course battered by heavy rain showers.
“We almost had a couple of mishaps but luckily we all survived, so I think that’s the main thing," Yates said following the stage. "We got through and can look forward to the rest of the race.
“It was a tricky start, and the road was a little bit half-wet sometimes, you’d go into a corner and it’s just blind faith, you don’t know if it’s going to be wet or dry on the other side.”
The team were one of the favourites for the stage prior to the start with a squad including four Australian riders with considerable track experience in Luke Durbridge, Callum Scotson, Kell O'Brien and Michael Hepburn.
Specialist time trial coach Marco Pinotti said that the team had hoped to enter Stage 2 in a better position than fourth, having put in a significant amount of specific work for the TTT – one of the hardest disciplines in road cycling.
“I was hoping for a podium, and maybe a win," Pinotti lamented after the stage.
"A couple of teams were just stronger than us, so we’ll take away a couple of lessons learned and try to do better next time.”
Yates will begin the road stages 31 seconds down on three-time Vuelta champion Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) who is second overall on the same time as teammate Gesink, the latter likely to hold the red jersey for the remainder of the stages in Holland before handing it off to his Slovenian leader.
Stage 2 is likely to be one to watch for Aussie sprinter Kaden Groves in his debut at the Spanish Grand Tour, as BikeExchange-Jayco look to regroup and aim for a stage win before turning their focus to the overall battle once the race reaches the hilly and mountain stages.
The Vuelta a Espana continues tonight with stage 2, a 175.1 kilometre flat stage from 's-Hertogenbosch to Utrecht. Watch the action LIVE from 9:10pm (AEST) on SBS and SBS On Demand.
