Chris Froome's Vuelta a Espana hopes look to be over on stage one as Primoz Roglic powers...

[ASFN Admin]

Chris Froome admitted earlier this week that he was not sure what to expect from himself at this year’s Vuelta a Espana, saying that he planned to “take the first few days to see exactly where his form was at” given his stop-start return from a life-threatening accident last year. The seven-time grand tour champion was not extended that courtesy on Tuesday as a brutal first stage in the Basque Country saw him shelled from the back of the bunch on the penultimate climb, eventually losing over 11 minutes to stage winner Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma). Froome’s Vuelta hopes are over already. It was always unlikely that the 35-year-old, who is competing in his final race for Ineos Grenadiers after 11 years at the team, would be in contention for the overall. Despite the confidence he expressed early in lockdown that he was training at his old levels and that he could pick up where he left off at the Criterium du Dauphine last summer, Froome was clearly a long way short of his best when racing resumed in August. After leaving Froome out of his Tour de France lineup, Dave Brailsford said that it made sense to give the four-time Tour winner a few more weeks to build some form and have a crack at the Vuelta, a race he has twice won before. But Froome was clearly not in shape to contest. He lost contact with the main group on the short, sharp Elgata climb, around 16km from the finish atop the Alto de Arrate. He fought hard, briefly regaining contact before his team-mates ramped up the pace to try and set up Richard Carapaz for the stage. The Ecuadorean eventually finished second behind Roglic, who takes the first red jersey of the race, as they led home a select group which included Britain’s Hugh Carthy (EF Pro Cycling).

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