Felix Engelhardt (Jayco AlUla) powered to the front from a four-rider sprint and won the first stage of the two-day Vuelta a Castilla y Leon.
The German accelerated on the right side of the slightly downhill finish in Soria outdistance runner-up Alessandro Fedeli (Q36.5 Pro Cycling). Alex Molenaar (Electro Hiper Europa) edged Iván García Cortina (Movistar) at the line to secure the final podium spot.
It is the second victory of the year for the 22-year-old and he will wear the GC leader’s jersey on the second and final day of racing on Thursday.
Engelhardt said he came into the race to support team leader Michael Matthews, but the Australian crashed at Prueba Villafranca on Tuesday and was not in his best form.
“It was bit unexpected, we’re here with Michael Matthews who is arguably the strongest rider in the peloton. So we were working all day long, mainly with him as the focus. But after he had a crash yesterday and didn’t feel that great in the final, we said we’d go for me. It also suited me quite well,” Engelhardt explained.
“The team did an amazing job. We were first over the bridge and into the final climb, and then I still had one teammate to pull. Then he pulled off and I knew it was now or never.
“I felt really good, and then I had to take the sprint from the front so I thought I needed to go a bit earlier, otherwise I’d get swamped from behind, because it’s quite a fast final. I think everybody had the same feeling and was on the limit for the last couple of hundred metres, and it worked out."
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