Lidl-Trek survived a final-corner crash to win the Stage 1 team time trial at La Vuelta Femenina, pipping Visma-Lease a Bike by just nine hundredths of a second.
Gaia Realini was first to cross the finish line in Valencia, meaning she claimed the leader’s red jersey.
But the 22-year-old and her team-mates had to survive some incredible late drama after a crash in the final kilometre nearly derailed her team’s pursuit of first place.
The smash occurred on the last corner of the race when Ellen van Dijk collided with Elynor Backstedt.
That looked to have gifted Visma victory but Lidl-Trek rallied superbly to regroup and sneak victory on the line. SD Worx-Protime came in third, only 1.8s behind the winners.
“I am really happy about this result for me and for the team,” said Realini afterwards.
“I’m not completely happy because in the last corner, two of my team-mates crashed. But in the end, we take this result and focus on the next stage.”
Lidl-Trek showed great awareness as the finish line approached. As Van Dijk and Backstedt lay stricken on the tarmac, Elisa Longo Borghini and Brodie Chapman waited for Realini and Lizzie Deignan to come home together – with the team’s time taken from the fourth rider across the line.
They were still left with a sense of what could have been though as the margin of victory would have been much larger had it not been for the crash.
“It was unfortunate that she crashed along with Elynor. Without that crash, we would have won by a lot – yet we saved victory at the end and it’s enough.
“We made some mistakes, yet we had an amazing race. Now we just hope for Ellen and Elynor to heal up quickly.”
The second stage of the race takes place between Bunyol and Moncofa tomorrow, with a sprint finish expected.