Trek went into the Vuelta a Espana team time trial as the bookmakers' favourite to win but the team got their race off to a diastrous start as all nine riders hit the deck during their recon ride. The team lamented the incident and wondered how much better they could have performed if all riders would have been at 100%.

In one terrifying moment it seemed all was lost for Trek Factory Racing. Bob Jungels was leading the team through one of the roundabouts in the early morning training and reconnaissance of the Vuelta a España’s opening day team time trial when his front wheel lost traction. Jungels fell hard and behind the other eight, with nowhere to go, also tumbled in an alarming heap of bikes and bodies. 

“The dangerous points [of the course] were the roundabouts because it is very old asphalt and quite dirty here in the city," manager Josu Larrazabal said. "The team was in one line, Bob was first and lost control of his front wheel, and when the guy in front is on the ground it is difficult for the ones behind to avoid the crash. 

"From the car we saw four or five guys on top of the others, and for a few seconds the feeling was terrible! We thought the worst - broken collarbones or ribs or something. Thankfully, it turned out to not be so bad and we breathed a sigh of relief. But then, after all that, it was about how would the guys react?”

The team doctor patched up the team and they pulled themselves together – physically, and even more so, mentally - then went out and gave a massive performance for the technical, short 12.6-kilometer course. Trek Factory Racing crossed the line with seven (losing Yaroslav Popovych and Kristof Vandewalle) and stopped the clock at 14:22, three seconds slower than the current best time of Team Cannondale. 

The last team to start, Movistar, rolled through the intermediate split time five seconds slower than Cannondale, and one second quicker than Trek Factory Racing. But in the second half of the course they stepped on the gas – when they blasted across the finish with all nine men they had the quickest time by six seconds (14:13)

Trek Factory Racing was bumped to fourth, but the overall feeling was one of satisfaction. It was not easy for the team to race after the morning incident, but they rallied with a fantastic performance.

“The feeling is good especially after what happened this morning with the whole team on the ground," Larrazabal said. "But when we see that we had a very competitive time, you feel a little bit disappointed, too.  

"After what happened this morning they were able to keep going, to keep their motivation high – we were very happy about their attitude. Because after you crash in the morning, and with the small injuries they sustained, it is very difficult to go again in the afternoon. They gave it their all, they were very motivated, and they raced very, very well.”

Although Team Time Trials may appear fluid from the outside, they are one of the hardest events in road cycling. When the course is short and technical like today, it adds another level of difficulty to the team race, and strategy is crucial.  

“As for strategy, honestly the idea was to try and win the race," Larrazabal said. "On such a tricky parcours we had six guys ride, and had Felline, Arredondo and Zubeldia sit on the back. Popo and Kristof did their job, and were tired from that. In the end the strategy was good, and maybe we were not the best in the roundabouts, but after the crash of this morning that is to be expected. The boys did the best they could. They had a really strong performance. For sure they had a bit of a handicap from the crash, but that is not an excuse, it is just a reality.”