Today I watched the Vuelta a España live in Utrecht, after having witnessed the Giro and the Tour in the same city. My hometown is the only place that hosted all three Grand Tours. And we're starting with a team time trial, another unique opportunity.
I knew my photos were going to be blurry, at a downhill stretch shortly before the finish. This is BikeExchange-Jayco. Simon Yates's team was the best of the early teams and ended in 4th place.
It was a good spot to see which teams were still hanging together. As you know, the time of the fifth rider counts. Here one from eh... the white team tapping out after a last big effort.
Quick-Step was fast and colorful, finishing 3rd.
The winners Jumbo-Visma were too fast to capture on camera. They finished with the full team and managed to let Robert Geesink win the red jersey, which was planned but more of a challenge at this speed than winning the race. Geesink had to change his career from the nation's hope to win the Tour to a solid helper in the mountains. He deserved a reward.
After the race, I got to see some of the bikes up close. And I think these were just the spares from Team UAE. Luckily, there were no falls, I don't think anyone needed to change bikes.
One thing I didn't expect: washing machines in the team bus's luggage compartment, which appear to be standard these days. And they were washing a few jerseys already.
It was a good day, and Geesink's win wasn't even the most historic Dutch sporting achievement today. That would be Femke Bol winning the 400m hurdles at the European Athletics Championships, after she already won the 400m flat.
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OK, looking at the TV images, the white team must have been Trek-Segafredo.