Opinion: Team time trial discipline makes welcome but subdued return to La Vuelta as Jumbo-Visma triumph

Let’s be honest – it was hardly edge-of-the-seat entertainment or white-knuckle tension. But then when was the last time you could say that about a prologue or opening individual time trial? Even so, we got to witness a supersonic performance from Jumbo-Visma as they got Primoz Roglic’s quest for an historic fourth consecutive Vuelta off the ground.

We also got a delicious slice of awkward serendipity as the Jumbo-destined Dutchman Dylan van Baarle was knocked out of the hot-seat by his employers-to-be after compatriot Robert Gesink led home Roglic’s squad 13 seconds quicker than Ineos Grenadiers. Ad There are far worse ways to start a Grand Tour.

Vuelta a España'Lovely to see' — Classy gesture praised as Jumbo-Visma hand 'gift' victory to Gesink2 HOURS AGO The viewer gets to see all 23 teams line up in their kits, running the rule over all eight riders – or seven, in the case of the Quintana-less Arkea-Samsic, sporting a new yellow kit so as not to be confused with the red jersey they will almost certainly never get to wear now that their Colombian leader is in the doghouse for a banned painkiller he allegedly took during the Tour. Watching 23 teams leave at four-minute intervals is infinitely more accommodating to the viewer than having to sit through 183 riders rolling down the ramp at two-minute intervals.

The spectacle is condensed into bite-size, accessible chunks; the time gaps are not so big as to prove critical for any of the GC favourites – heck, there are even those GC riders who are terrible at the discipline who actually emerge in a far better position than had they ridden the course all alone (Mikel Landa, for instance, whose Bahrain Victorious team lost just 42 seconds). It's been three years now since we