TEAM BULLS with Huber and Schenller win the FLASH STAGE

Swiss r,ider Irina Lützelschwab, and the Swedish Jennie Stenerhag, wear the leader's jersey after winning the women's FLASH STAGE by two seconds.

At just a few seconds past 10 am, the Fuentezuelas Sports Complex witnessed live the start of the eleventh edition of the Andalucía Bike Race by GARMIN. Every two minutes until 4 pm, the race’s 500 participants paraded through the start ramp and, after the countdown by the UCI commissaries, they set off on the first of six stages.

It was a time trial stage of just over 24 kilometers and 870 meters of elevation gain in which the legendary climb up El Neveral proved to be the day’s main challenger.

The day was marked by heat and dry terrain and ended by declaring Urs Huber and Simon Schneller (TEAM BULLS) the first winners in in the UCI Marathon Series Men’s category of this 11th edition of the Andalucía Bike Race by Garmin with a time of 1:13:32. Behind them, the Italians, Samuele Porro and Daniel Gesimayr (Team Trek Pirelli), finished second, while Tiago Ferreira and Wout Alleman (DMT Racing Team) rounded out the race’s first podium.

In the women's category, the fastest riders of the day were Swiss racer, Irina Lutzelschwab, and Swedish racer, Jennie Stenerhag (ABRO-Knippcycling Schär Gärten), followed by Hildegunn Hovdenak, two-time Andalucía Bike Race champion, and Janine Schneider, just 2 seconds behind. The third position went to Katazina Sosna and Stefanie Dohrn (Torpado Sudtirol).

The day lasted from 10 am to 4 pm with more than 200 teams of two starting, where each pair started with a gap of 2 minutes between them.

Tomorrow's stage will be raced entirely in the Quiebrajano reservoir. It is a circular stage of 63 kilometers and two long climbs through the southern region of the Sierra de Jaén.

FLASH STAGE UCI Marathon Series Men Rankings

1 Urs Huber - Simon Schneller TEAM BULLS 01:13:32

2 Samuele Porro - Daniel Gesimayr TREK PIRELLI 01:13:59

3 Tiago Ferreira - Wout Alleman DMT RACING TEAM 01:14:02

FLASH STAGE UCI Marathon Series Women Rankings

1 Irina Lutzelschwab - Jennie Stenerhag ABRO-Knippcycling Schär Gärten 01:37:15

2 Hildegunn Hovdenak - Janine Shcneider TYSK-NORGE 01:37:15

3 Katazina Sosna - Stefanie Regina TORPADO SUDTIROL 01:37:45