Team Jayco AlUla got Okolo Slovenska off to the perfect start with victory in the opening team time trial.
As the first rider over the line from the team, Max Walscheid moves into the race leader’s yellow jersey, while teammates, newly crowned Swiss road race champion, Mauro Schmid and Anders Foldager will wear the green points and climber’s polka dot jerseys respectively.
The five-day race around Slovakia kicked off with a 28.8km pan-flat, evening TTT around Dunjaská Streda.
Team Jayco AlUla was the penultimate squad off the start ramp, giving them the benefit of knowing how most of their rivals had faired.
Cofidis held the fastest time as the team started but that was soon bettered by Soudal Quick-Step by almost a minute. However, with a powerful roster on the road, the Australian squad was pushing an even higher pace and went 25 seconds quicker.
In the end, Team Jayco AlUla was the only team to go under 32 minutes and the result puts the team in a strong position going into the rest of the race.
Max Walscheid:
“We are super happy. It was a great effort by the whole team, from every staff member to every rider. We rode super smooth, and I think we got the maximum out of everybody. It was a flat parcours with some technical sections. We managed to find the ideal pace and rode well through the corners.
Personally, I felt super strong and those efforts so it was perfect for me, and in the end, I could help the team to win today. Of course, I’m really happy to be representing our team with the leader’s jersey. It is a fantastic day. This was the first step for us in the race and we hope to keep this jersey within our team for the rest of the week. We have got four guys who are capable of doing a great GC here and I will personally eye the third stage, which should end in a sprint.”
2024 Okolo Slovenska stage 1 results:
1. Team Jayco AlUla 31:34
2. Soudal Quick-Step +0:25
3. Q36.5 Pro Cycling +36
2024 Okolo Slovenska GC after stage 1:
1. Max Walscheid (Team Jayco AlUla) 31:34
2. Mauro Schmid (Team Jayco AlUla) st
3. Anders Foldager (Team Jayco AlUla) st
Photo: Sprint Cycling
