McNulty Triumphs In Vuelta Time Trial To Earn Leader's Jersey

Brandon McNulty of UAE Team Emirates delivered an outstanding performance to clinch a narrow victory in the stage 1 time trial from Lisbon to Oeiras at the Vuelta España. The American cyclist managed to edge out Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek) by just two seconds. Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike), who started last, completed the podium.

McNulty was the second-to-last rider to start, giving him the advantage of knowing his teammates' and rivals' times. At the 7km mark, Van Aert led slightly ahead of Vacek, with McNulty trailing by two seconds. However, McNulty showcased his strength in the final stretch, achieving an impressive average speed of 57.197 kph to secure the win.

This victory marks the first time McNulty will wear the leader's jersey in a Grand Tour. Reflecting on his win, McNulty said: "I don’t know if I expected to win but I knew if something crazy happened, then I could win – so I guess something crazy happened. I was hoping for something good today but this is hard to believe for me."

He added: "I just had super good legs. I’ve been feeling really good in training. I really went for the Olympics, and I’ve had good legs since then. I knew I could do something good, but I didn’t expect to win."

The finale of stage 6 of the Tour of Poland mirrored previous summit finishes this week, with Diego Ulissi narrowly missing out on victory behind Thibaut Nys (Lidl-Trek), who secured his third win of the week. The Italian veteran displayed excellent form during the hilly transfer from Wadowice to Bukovina Resort (183.2km). Oscar Onley (DSM Firmenich) rounded out the podium.

Ulissi's consistent performance throughout the race has been noteworthy, showcasing his ability to compete at a high level despite tough competition and challenging terrain.

McNulty's triumph in Spain and Ulissi's near-victory in Poland highlight their exceptional skills and determination in competitive cycling events.

With inputs from WAM