Ineos Grenadiers Strive for Glory, Finish Fifth in Vuelta TTT

Ineos Grenadiers experienced a challenging team time trial on stage 5 of the Vuelta a España, ultimately finishing fifth in Figueres. The British cycling team began with impressive momentum, clocking in at the first intermediate time check six seconds ahead of the leading team, Lidl-Trek. However, their initial lead slipped as the race progressed, culminating in a provisional second place, seven seconds slower than Lidl-Trek.

The team’s effort was characterized by a vigorous start, but as they approached the second intermediate point 8.5 kilometers later, Ineos had already lost seven seconds to their American rivals. By the finish line, they were overtaken by three additional teams: UAE Team Emirates, Visma-Lease a Bike, and Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe.

Team Director Christian Knees reflected on the race, stating, “We tried to go in aggressively, and it was clear that the other teams have a strong lineup as well. We couldn’t maintain it to the finish, and that’s how it was.” Despite the outcome, Knees expressed no regrets about the team’s strategy. He emphasized that the intention was to win the stage, which justified the risk taken during the ride.

“It was a really brave ride from all of them,” Knees added. “We knew it was ambitious, and we knew we had to do this in order to win today. Sometimes it can go bad; sometimes it doesn’t work out as planned.”

Despite the setback in the team time trial, the day was not a complete loss for Ineos. General Classification (GC) leader Egan Bernal only lost 16 seconds to UAE’s Juan Ayuso and João Almeida in the overall standings. He also slipped just eight seconds behind the new red jersey holder, Jonas Vingegaard of Visma-Lease a Bike, maintaining a position within striking distance at tenth overall.

Knees had not yet spoken directly with Bernal post-race but was confident that the Colombian national champion would be satisfied with the team’s performance. “I bet so, we only lost 16 seconds, and we’re not far off, so it was a good day,” Knees remarked.

Bernal himself echoed this sentiment in an interview with Caracol TV and Eurosport. “It was a very good TTT. We started out strong because we wanted to go for the win, and we ended up setting a nice time that makes us more confident in our GC bid,” he stated.

The Colombian rider noted that the team is still well within reach of the top spots and that the upcoming stages of the Vuelta will offer opportunities for greater time gaps than those seen in the team time trial.

Knees also highlighted Bernal’s overall performance this season, which includes a seventh-place finish at the Giro d’Italia. As a former winner of both the Giro and the Tour de France, Bernal aims for more than just a top-ten finish in this year’s Vuelta. “The team time trial was another step to keep him up there, so we succeeded, and we just take it day by day now and see how it goes,” Knees said.

As Ineos Grenadiers looks ahead, the focus remains sharp on the stages to come. The team is determined to build on their performance and ultimately strive for a better result than achieved in the Giro, with the aim of contending for the top position in the Vuelta a España.