VPV stage 1

Euskaltel came through today's Vuelta al País Vasco opener unscathed and with Samu's overall aspirations intact.

The first 154km leg starting and ending in Güeñes saw a duo, Caja Rural's David de la Fuente and Utensilnord-Named's Davide Mucelli, jump clear after only 15 kilometres, before, inevitably, being caught by an Euskaltel-marshalled peloton 14 clicks out. The guys in orange kept proceedings under control and the breakaway duo on a tight leash throughout, and managed to get all eight in with the pack on the same time as sprint winner JJ Rojas. Gorka Izagirre, who'd earlier seen a late-race move cancelled out, tried his hand in the sprint and came away with a creditable eighth.

Speaking post-stage, Samu had this to say to the team's website:

"It was a nervous stage, so getting through it is what's important. There's always tension in the first stage of a race like Vuelta al País Vasco, but the team did a great job in controlling affairs. They took command of the peloton and protected me expertly.

Tomorrow's stage is also likely to be decided in a sprint. It'll be more of the same, but the team did well today and that gives me a piece of mind".