Fourth fastest on the line and the white jersey on the shoulders of Juan Ayuso.
After months of anticipation, the Tour de France is here. Riders blurred through the streets of Barcelona, host city for the 113th edition of the Grande Boucle, putting their hard-worked preparation to the test against the clock.
After days of team time trial practice at the Barcelona-Catalunya motor circuit, Lidl-Trek rolled down the start ramp with a clear plan in mind to give Juan Ayuso’s GC campaign the best start possible. Despite a mechanical for Mattias Skjelmose, Lidl-Trek’s well- drilled train delivered Ayuso in good time to the climb to Montjuic, with a particularly impressive pull from Czech Champion Mathias Vacek. Our Spaniard just had to finish off the strong work of the team on the final ascent, stopping the clock as the fourth fastest time, 16 seconds shy of the stage winners.
Ayuso was rewarded with the white jersey as best young rider, presented in front of home-turf fans in Barcelona, as he fulfilled a childhood dream 14 years in the making.
From the finish line with Juan Ayuso 🎤
We prepared really well. We were dreaming of yellow and the Team was really committed. With a leader like Mads [Pedersen] and also with the legs we had today with [Mathias] Vacek, it was really possible.
We had a bit of bad luck with the mechanical of Skjelly [Mattias Skjelmose]. In this type of effort, he is one of the best in the world. I don't want to say we would have won, but for sure we would have been a bit more in front.
Even with the bad luck, we still had guys like Mads and Vacek that put the Team on their shoulders and really made the difference. I was in a position at the bottom of the final to still be, more or less, in contention. I think, overall, the team did a really good performance, even if luck was not on our side.
I'm quite happy to have this jersey. It's nice to get things going. This discipline is quite stressful because everything has to go well, all in sync, everything timed perfectly. The last three or four days before the Tour, we were only thinking about this stage, preparing and training for it.
It's been a lot of work for everyone but I really enjoyed the course today, and I really enjoyed the experience. It's also nice to get it done and tomorrow start with the "normal" Tour de France. I expect a really hard stage. First we have to see what breakaway goes away and then the last circuit is super hard, super tough. For sure we're going to already see attacks, so we have to be ready.
Sports Director Steven de Jongh talks through our day 📹
Fourth place on the line and a white jersey on the shoulders of Juan Ayuso – DS Steven De Jongh gives a quick stage debrief after #TDF2026 stage 1 pic.twitter.com/F8JJ4GselE
— Lidl-Trek (@LidlTrek) July 4, 2026
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