Lidl-Trek deals big blow in Valencia time trial, highly rated INEOS falters but remains satisfied

An exceptionally strong team performance — that is the best way to describe Lidl-Trek’s victory in the team time trial of the Tour of Valencia. The American squad was the only team to break the 40-minute barrier, clocking 39 minutes and 20 seconds in the opening stage. With this dominant display, they left teams like UAE Team Emirates-XRG, Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, and INEOS Grenadiers far behind.

A surprise? Not at all. Lidl-Trek lined up with power riders like Daan Hoole, Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier, Jacob Söderqvist, and Mathias Vacek. "It was incredible teamwork," said Vacek, who will wear the leader’s jersey on Thursday. "The team did an amazing job. We knew we could go for a great result, so we gave it everything."

"This was our first team time trial together in this lineup, so beforehand, you don’t really know how it will go, but I’m incredibly proud that we achieved such a great result," added the 22-year-old Czech rider. "We worked hard on this during training camps — everyone knew exactly when to push, how hard to go, and when to go full throttle. We rode perfect lines and truly worked together as a team."

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Lidl-Trek's training camp laid the foundation for a stellar performance

Flying start gives Lidl-Trek confidence for upcoming races

Vacek admitted that not everyone had the same energy left in the final stretch, but that's when the real powerhouse riders stepped up. "The true specialists finished it off perfectly, and we can be proud of that. It’s an amazing feeling to win. Winning a team time trial is always special, and for the team, this is a huge success. It also gives us a big confidence boost for the next races, stages, and time trials later this season."

The fact that Vacek crossed the line first and took the leader’s jersey was not pre-planned — the team effort was what mattered most. "Everything went according to plan. We gave it our all and truly believed we could win. We trained for this together at our January training camp, and it’s fantastic that it paid off," said key engine Jonathan Milan. "In the coming days, we will try to defend the jersey, and in the final stage, there might even be an opportunity for me to go for a stage win."

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Jonathan Milan

Jayco AlUla goes into day two feeling satisfied after second place

For Team Jayco AlUla, it was far from a bad day, as they finished second, 47 seconds behind Lidl-Trek. Jelte Krijnsen, competing for the second time with his new team, reflected positively on the team’s website. "The team time trial was quite a tough one and we lost three guys earlier than planned, which made it quite challenging but, in the end, we still managed to get second, so I think it’s not a bad starting point. Personally, I’m feeling quite strong, and in the end, it was a good day for me to start with."

Sporting director David McPartland was also pleased with his team’s performance. "The race started off on the right foot for us today. The four that went to the line rallied together and really finished off a solid job. We are now sitting in a pretty good position with Ben (O'Connor, ed.). We’re 46 seconds behind Lidl-Trek, but more importantly we already have five seconds on UAE Team Emirates and Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, so I’m quite satisfied with that ride today."

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Tobias Foss

Did INEOS and UAE disappoint in Valencia time trial?

It’s no surprise that Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe and UAE Team Emirates-XRG are being mentioned — they, along with INEOS Grenadiers, were the pre-race favorites. UAE Team Emirates finished third, 50 seconds behind Lidl-Trek. "In the end, we are happy because the team is already together as a unit and has produced a good performance on the road," said team director Marco Marzano via the team’s official channels. "Tonight, we will analyse the team’s performance. But for now, we are pleased that our guys had a good feeling."

INEOS also expressed satisfaction despite only finishing fifth, 51 seconds behind Lidl-Trek — a rather underwhelming result for a team featuring Carlos Rodríguez, Thymen Arensman, Jonathan Castroviejo, Tobias Foss, and Bob Jungels, all of whom are strong time trialists. "We executed well, and I think we delivered a solid performance," said Tobias Foss. "We were fast, but obviously not fast enough."

"Probably Bob (Jungels, ed.) and I are the only riders over 70 kilos in this team, so we were missing a bit of pure power for the flat sections," Foss concluded, without being overly critical. "I’m proud of what we did — it was a really strong effort from everyone. The entire course had a headwind, so it was all about finding a solid, hard tempo, maintaining it consistently, and pushing a bit harder on the climbs."

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