Team LottoNL-Jumbo finished fourth today in the opening team time trial of the Vuelta a España. The team completed the 7.4-kilometre course between Puerto Banus and Marbella in a time of 8 minutes and 18 seconds.

Martijn Keizer was the first Team LottoNL-Jumbo rider to cross the finish line and conquered the white and blue mountain jersey. BMC was eight seconds faster and won the opening stage of the 70th Vuelta. Slovakian Peter Velits took the race leader's red jersey.

The time differences of the TTT don’t count for the overall, however. That decision was taken earlier this week because of the dangerous characteristics of the course. Therefore several teams didn’t risk their GC ambitions in the team time trial.

“We knew that today was a big opportunity for us,” Keizer said. “We saw the course for the first time on Friday and immediately decided to give everything we had in us. We didn’t hesitate for a second, and approached the time trial very professionally. We were all focused on a good result. This morning, we did three dedicated recons and this is the result. Very nice, especially when you see that we are here with three debutants.”

Keizer is looking forward to start Sunday’s stage in the white combined jersey.

“This is a good start and immediately creates additional challenges. We must aim to keep the jersey within the team.”

"It was not possible to ride at full speed with nine guys on such a narrow course," Mike Teunissen said. "So the thing was to drop a couple of guys and go on with six or seven riders, which we did. We rode a good time trial but it was not enough. All courses are dangerous, you have to adapt your speed to the danger"  

Sports Director and time trial coach, Mathieu Heijboer arrived in Spain on Thursday and immediately recognised possibilities when he saw the course.

“Sometimes when an opportunitie arises, you have to take it, and today was such a moment. We approached the TTT as we always do, with all the trimmings. Cooling and warming-up procedures, tactics, everything. Before the stage we decided that we wouldn’t ride the TTT with the whole team, because of the narrow roads and the many corners. Despite the discussion we have the impression that many teams went full for it. Bert-Jan Lindeman and George Bennett let the others go pretty early. That was their contribution today. They handled it very well, it was for the team. They know that later on the team will work for them.

Heijboer expects an open race in Sunday’s 165-kilometre stage from Alhaurín de la Torre to Caminito del Rey because there are yet time differences.

“Tomorrow, the Vuelta starts over again and we will make a new plan. It’s a good thing to start the race with a jersey on the shoulders of one of our riders.”