Tadej Pogacar takes opening stage Monaco TT by nine HUNDREDTHS of a second from GB's Ethan Hayter

Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) went into red from his first stage at the Vuelta since winning his first Tour de France more than six years ago. The most decorated rider of this generation took the opening stage time trial by 0.09s from Britain’s Ethan Hayter (Soudal Quick-Step). Third on the day went to another British rider, Josh Tarling (Netcompany Ineos) competing for the first time since the death of his brother Finlay at the Tour of Portugal a week ago.

For the first time in the race’s history, the Vuelta started from Monaco, making the principality the first country to host the start of every Grand Tour. The 9.4km course was almost perfectly flat, with the first half offering sweeping straights right out of the Grand Prix circuit for the power riders, while the second part contained several technical, tight corners, better suited to the more proficient bike handlers.

It also made for modest margins and more than a few surprising early results. Jordan Labrosse (Decathlon-CMA CGM) was the first rider to enjoy a reasonable stint in the hot seat, the 23-year-old setting an impressive benchmark time of 11:20. He was briefly displaced by his team-mate Sander De Pestel before both were overhauled by Grand Tour debutant Matthew Brennan (Visma-Lease a Bike) who went four seconds quicker than both. Brennan held the lead for half an hour himself, before Tudor Pro Cycling's Arthur Kluckers took another two seconds off. 

Kluckers handed over to another debutant, Oscar Chamberlain of Decathlon-CMA CGM, who took advantage of local familiarity to put in a strong time that would ultimately be good enough for the top 10. He would go on to vacate the chair to Edinburgh’s Callum Thornley (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe).

The first of the favourites to ride down the ramp from the famous Casino Square was Tarling. The course was not ideally suited to the TT specialist, but it had enough in it for him to edge out Thornley by a single second. There was plenty of will for the Welsh rider’s time to go the distance, but it was another Briton, Hayter, who would go quicker, putting in the time trial of his career in the process.

As the GC favourites and one-day stars alike failed to beat his time, Hayter appeared increasingly comfortable in the chair. When Pogacar went through the intermediate time check two seconds down, Hayter had reason to believe a first Grand Tour stage win was within his grasp. Unfortunately for him, Pogacar has a history of snatching victory from every possible scenario. When the five-time Tour de France champion crossed the line, the clock stayed green. He had won by less than one-tenth of a second.

Hayter stood up out of the hot seat and turned away from the camera.

The win, which came with Pogacar’s first maillot rojo, makes him an even firmer favourite to complete the set of Grand Tours, with some speculating he could wear the jersey all the way to the finish in Granada.

The longest stage of the race, the second longest of any Grand Tour this season, more than 3000m of climbing. Typical day out at the Vuelta, then.

1. Tadej Pogacar 10'57
2. Ethan Hayter +0.09"
3. Josh Tarling +4.19"
4. Callum Thornley +5.41"
5. Christophe Laporte +6.56"
6. Leo Bisiaux +8.58"
7. Oscar Chamberlain +9.33"
8. Wout van Aert +9.45"
9. Finn Fisher-Black +10.79"
10. Arthur Kluckers +11.41"

By nine HUNDREDTHS of a second. Hearts broken in Herne Hill. Hayter's reaction says it all. Absolutely brutal.

As Wout van Aert comes home eight seconds down at the finish. It looks like only Pogacar can deny Ethan Hayter. They're getting excited in the Herne Hill vets race WhatsApp group, I can tell you.

This is looking better and better for a Grand Tour win for the People's Republic of Herne Hill Velodrome.

And he's going for it, so that tells us quite how quick the British rider was going.

Probably not close enough to put him in with a shout of the red jersey tomorrow.

He doesn't need the win, might not even care if he gets it, might not even want it, but how foreboding it'll be if he can take it.

And he makes it a provisional 1-2-3, as the first rider to go under eleven minutes, with a 10'57.

Back at a Grand Tour for the first time in over a year, the Vuelta in almost two. He's told us he's targeting rojo today, and he clearly means business.

Three seconds up on Tarling at the intermediate split. That's quite a chunk at the business end of a short TT.

The British TT champion has a good short time trial in him, but this season hasn't gone quite as well for the south Londoner as last.

He's given everything, and he's done it. He stops the clock in a time of 11'01.33. He held that one second advantage. Can he hold onto the hotseat as we await the next 27 riders to finish?

The clock stays green, showing he's one second up on Thornley, telling us he's made the most of the first, faster part of the course. How will he fare on the twisty second section? That's where Thornley gained time, going from fifth to first.

He might have expected to be leader, but as Pogacar has said, this race was always on his schedule. The Portugese rider has proven a loyal lieutenant on several occasions, but he's not a bad Plan B, should UAE need it.

Perhaps no rider has ever had more support in a bike race. Whatever the result, however he performs, we can only hope this ride provides him with some solace.