Stage 1: Gumiel de Izán > Burgos (Alto del Castillo)
The opening stage of the Vuelta a Burgos covered 165 kilometres, with two short climbs in the final 20 kilometres setting up a demanding finale that finished on an cobbled climb. Four riders went clear early in the stage, but the peloton kept the breakaway under control and caught the final escapees with just 1.5 kilometres to go. Team Picnic PostNL stayed together throughout the stage, supporting each other ahead of the finale. As the final climb approached, Bjorn Koerdt moved towards the front of the bunch and held his position well through the cobbled final kilometre. After a strong kick to the line, Koerdt crossed the finish in 5th place.
After the stage, Koerdt said: “It wasn’t too crazy throughout the day. It was pretty relaxed for the most part, the break went clear and then the boys got organised, and we stayed together. As we got deeper into the finale, we really rode as a unit and kept each other in check as we navigated the twisty and technical back roads.
When we came onto the main road, they kept me nicely positioned through all the roundabouts. It was crucial to be near the front and to always have someone around me. Coming onto the short kicker at the end, I was right towards the front and from there it came down to the legs. I paced the climb pretty well and in the end that got me 5th place. It’s a nice way to start the race, and hopefully the boys and I can put together more results like this as the week goes on.”