Buenas tardes a todos. You could say that I kicked off the season today just as planned. I'm not 100% satisfied with my ride because I no doubt dropped a second or more before the turn. But, on the other hand, I was that much faster on the way back. My sixth place finish in the Tour of Andalusia's prologue shows that I'm in much better shape this year compared to the same time last year. That means that I prepared well for the season, and that I can keep pace with the best riders. A key factor was also the perfect equipment, which is especially important during the time trial.

A deficit of 10 seconds

The course was 3-km straightaway, then we turned around and rode back the same way. The first leg was a bit easier because of tailwind. A 10-second deficit is all that kept me from the winners platform. I'd like to congratulate Patrick Gretsch, who knocked out an incredible time of 6:49 minutes. After the race we went for a short ride, then took the team car back to the hotel. Along the way we saw a couple of pros still out training on the highway... In Spain, almost anything goes. ☺ Now it's time for me to have a massage so that I'll be ready again tomorrow for the 197.9-km stage.

Hasta mañana,

Matthias