Uijtdebroeks sheds almost two minutes on Tour stage 1 after suffering cramps
Movistar was having a good day for the first half of the team time trial that opened the 2026 Tour de France, powering through the second and third timing points faster than anyone who had gone before them. However, the momentum was snuffed out in the run-up to the first of two short climbs in the finale as the team's GC leader Cian Uijtdebroeks began to really struggle.
"I had cramps before I started the first climb,” Uijtdebroeks told Sporza at the finish. “Maybe pacing played a role too, and I pushed too hard at the start. The plan was just to ride around and get up the two climbs as fast as possible. Sprinting to the finish, but of course that’s not possible when you have cramps. Did I lose a minute? That’s still okay."
Most of his remaining teammates hung back to help him to the line, but they couldn't keep Uijtdebroeks from losing one minute 53 seconds to race leader Jonas Vingegaard.
