Lidl-Trek win opening Vuelta Femenina stage despite crash

Lidl-Trek won the opening team time trial stage of the women’s Vuelta on Sunday despite a crash on the final corner.

The team features British rider Lizzie Deignan, who has returned to competition despite breaking her arm when she crashed out of the Tour of Flanders just four weeks ago.

Her Italian team-mate Gaia Realini crossed the line as the first Lidl-Trek rider and takes the overall general classification lead.

The final moments of their time trial saw Ellen van Dijk crash, taking down team-mate Briton Elynor Backstedt but as Brodie Chapman and Elisa Longo Borghini waited for Realini and Deignan to catch up crossed the line just nine-hundredths of a second faster than second-placed Team Visma-Lease.

“Two of my team-mates crashed but in the end we take this result and focus on the next stage,” Realini said.

This year’s Vuelta has been expanded to include eight stages.

Sunday’s time trial took place in Valencia and the race will finish in Valdesqui near Madrid via stages through the Pyrenees.