The first Vuelta a Espana for Team Colombia-Coldeportes started on Saturday August 22nd with the hotly discussed opening team time trial from Puerto Banus to Marbella (7,4 km), whose time gaps have been neutralized in the individual overall classification following the debates on the route’s safety conditions. The riders directed by Sports Directors Valerio Tebaldi and Oscar Pellicioli concluded in 15th position with a 8.43 time, 33 seconds behind the winning BMC Team. The USA team, taking the first leader’s red jersey with Peter Velits, preceded by a second the duo formed by Tinkoff-Saxo and Orica-GreenEDGE. 

Second team down the starting ramp in Puerto Banus, the Escarabajos were led by Juan Pablo Valencia on the finishing line placed on Marbella’s seaside.

“It was quite a regular performance," General Manager Claudio Corti told. "We tried to give our best without taking too many risks, as we knew that today’s gaps would not count for the overall classification. We wanted to honor this race, also for the many Colombian fans pushing us as usual, both on the road and in front of their TVs, and I think we managed to do that.”

All the riders will line-up with the same time in the GC at the start of the second stage, Alhaurin de La Torre – Caminito del Rey (158,7 km), presenting the first of nine uphill finishes in 2015 Vuelta. “

Today’s stage was good to break the ice, but tomorrow it will be time for serious business already,” Rodolfo Torres said. “The challenge has just started, and we have every intention to prove we belong here, day after day.”