Pogačar wins Tour of Spain opener by nine-hundredths of a second

Tadej Pogačar claimed a dramatic victory in the opening time trial of the Tour of Spain, held on the streets of Monaco where he resides. The Slovenian star edged out Great Britain's Ethan Hayter by a mere nine-hundredths of a second over the 9.4 km technical course.

Pogačar, already a winner of this year's Tour de France, is aiming to add the Vuelta a España to his collection of Grand Tour victories. This win marks his 10th career time trial victory and his 20th win of the current season.

Fellow Slovenian Primož Roglič, a major contender, finished 24th, trailing Pogačar by 22 seconds. The technically challenging route featured numerous twists and turns, including sections of the famous Formula 1 circuit.

"It's certainly a strange feeling to win the opening time trial, especially with such a small margin. I didn't expect this. I'm very happy, red is a beautiful color," Pogačar said after the race, referring to the leader's red jersey.

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It's certainly a strange feeling to win the opening time trial, especially with such a small margin. I didn't expect this. I'm very happy, red is a beautiful color.