Team Sky's Danny van Poppel overcame an early crash on the first stage of the Vuelta a Burgos to out-manoeuvre BMC's Jempy Drucker for the win and first leader's jersey of the race. The win was the second of the Dutchman's career on Spanish soil, who joined Team Sky at the end of 2015, after his stage 12 success at last year's Vuelta a Espana.
"The team dropped me off really well, but as a rider you know if there's a finish on a corner it can be really dangerous and chaotic. We lost each other a little bit, but I knew I had to be in the front for the turn. After that I was third wheel, and when we passed the 200m to go sign I went full gas," van Poppel said in a statement from his team of the fast finish in Melgar de Fernamental.
Before van Poppel could raise his arms in triumph, first he had to overcome a crash which he described as unavoidable due to the fact he couldn't get his hands back on the bars after taking bidons from his teammate.
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"We were riding at the front and I needed a nature break, so I rode back with Christian [Knees] and he gave me some new bottles. I took them and had my hands on my handlebars, not on the brakes, and then when I looked up everyone was standing still! I tried to grab my brakes but it was too late. I crashed onto my back. I hurt myself, but I was fine, and I really wanted to go for the win," van Poppel added.
Van Poppel will be hoping to stay upright during stage 2 and hold onto the leader's jersey for another day as he explained.
"It's possible to keep the lead tomorrow [during the team time trial] because we have a strong team, but I am not here for the GC. We've got other guys in the team for that, but there are more sprint stages - I'm really looking forward to them!" he concluded.
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