The first collective stage in this Tour of Spain ((2.WT, 14/08-5/09) was again ridden in the Spanish heat. With the thermometer showing almost 40 degrees, the peloton rode at a moderate pace from Caleruega to Burgos in 166.7 kilometer. Once the last survivor of the early breakaway was caught at the entry of Burgos, the sprint trains were formed. Jasper Philipsen took the win ahead of Fabio Jakobsen, with Riccardo Minali finishing at a nice 8th place. Meintjes and Eiking lost some time in the general classification because of a crash with 4 kilometer to go, ahead of the first uphill finish in this Vuelta, on top of the Picon Blanco (7,6km à 9,1%).
I'm happy to start this Vuelta with a top 10, because this sprint was not in our favor. The teams with a big train did most of the work, while Kévin Van Melsen and Wesley Kreder brought me in a perfect position in the approach to the sprint. The team delivered a perfect job before the final kilometer. Unfortunately, I made a mistake with 400 meter to go, causing me to go through the with 350 meter before the line. It was early to start my sprint and I lost quite some energy so I'm happy to finish in the top 10 in the end. My feeling is good and there are still numerous opportunities at this Vuelta, so we'll try again!
