"I knew I could do a good time but not that good!" - Mathias Vacek powers into provisional lead of stage 1 at the 2024 Vuelta a Espana
Cycling
It's fair to say that Mathias Vacek wasn't a name widely touted as a potential winner of the stage 1 time-trial at the 2024 Vuelta a Espana, but with a few riders to go, the Czech national champion has set a truly blistering time.
Team Visma | Lease a Bike's Edoardo Affini has spent a very long time in the hotseat, even seeing off the challenge of European champion Joshua Tarling, but with his stunning effort, Vacek finally unseated the Visma man, taking the provisional stage lead by 5.75 seconds.
"I knew I could do a good time but not that good!" Vacek laughs honestly in his immediate interview afterwards. "But yeah, I really worked hard for this and it's really hard to ask for much better so I'm really happy with it. We'll just wait and see how it ends."
"I felt really good actually, but I just had in mind to go as fast as possible and to just go for the win. It looks good at the moment," Vacek continues. "For everybody the wind was the same so I thought it would be about pure power and I gave it all. There are still some strong riders to come, but I think I can last a long time at the top," he concludes.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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#LaVuelta24 Vacek smashes the best time!
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