In blistering hot conditions the 1st stage of the Vuelta a San Juan was won by Fernando Gaviria (UAE-Team Emirates), with Matteo Malucelli (Caja Rural) second and Sam Bennett third.
On his return to racing, following a lengthy period on the sidelines due to illness, Mark Cavendish finished strongly in 8th in front of the fanatical fans in Pocito.
🇦🇷 #VueltaSJ2019
— Team Dimension Data (@TeamDiData) January 27, 2019
He's back!
Sweltering heat on the opening stage of @vueltasanjuanok but great to see @MarkCavendish racing again.#BicyclesChangesLives pic.twitter.com/WuRKpvz1a3
The 159km stage from San Juan to Pocito saw the World Tour teams fully in control of of the 27-team event, with a number of small breakaways not having much of any impact on the final result.
The focus being on keeping hydrated in conditions approaching 50 degrees celsius in the late afternoon.
New faces
For our team, Rasmus Tiller and Gino Mader both rode their first races as professionals while Danilo Wyss also made his debut for Team Dimension Data.
🇦🇷 #VueltaSJ2019
— Team Dimension Data (@TeamDiData) January 27, 2019
A warm (literally) welcome to @danilowyss85 as he races with us for the 1st time.
First time racing too with @MarkCavendish…💋#BicyclesChangesLives pic.twitter.com/TWAsMIJ6Yv
Say what?
“It was hot, so hot but when I looked around I could tell I wasn’t the only one suffering. I don’t wear a heart rate monitor but it takes your heart rate that much higher in that sort of heat.
“It was nice to be back in the peloton, obviously early season it’s always a bit nervous and after for so long, not even being in a bike race for 6 months, it was actually nice to get in the mix again.” – Mark Cavendish
