Patrick Gretsch (Project 1t4i) covered the six-kilometer prologue course around San Fernando, Spain in 6 minutes 49 seconds to take the prologue of the Vuelta a Andulucía-Ruta Ciclista del Sol.
The German was two seconds better than the race’s returning champion Markel Irizar (Radioshack-Nissan) and three seconds faster than Jeróme Coppel (Saur-Sojasun). It was Gretsch’s debut for Project 1t4i, and the win today comes on the same day as team-mate Marcel Kittel’s win in the final stage of the Tour of Oman.
Gretsch has begun to make a habit of winning time trials, as the 24-year-old took two with HTC-Highroad last season, including the prologue of the Ster ZLM Tour as well as the individual time trial in the USA Pro Cycling Challenge.
On an 18-degree day with little wind, Canadian Ryan Roth (Spidertech p/b C10) set the early best mark. Jens Voigt (Radioshack-Nissan) was the first to best it, followed quickly by Michael Matthews (Rabobank).
Matthews’ mark of 6 minutes 55 seconds would stand for some time, holding up against noted TT specialist Jose Ivan Gutierrez (Movistar), until Gretsch blazed through with what would be the winning mark.
Featured riders Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Robert Gesink (Rabobank), Denis Menchov (Katusha), Jelle Vanendert (Lotto-Belisol), and Dutch road champion Pim Ligthart (Vacansoleil-DCM) could do nothing with the time of Gretsch.
Irizar was last to start and came closest to matching the German, but instead settles for second and a solid start to his defence of the Andalucia title. Matthew’s effort sees him take a strong fourth.
Stage two takes riders 197 kilometers from Zahara to Benalmádena.