Complaints force Vuelta a España to remove stage one from general classification

Following complaints about the nature of the 7.4km team time trial course, which includes a section of sand, the organiser has semi-neutralised the stage

The Vuelta a España team time trial course (Photo: Twitter/Rory Sutherland)

Saturday's opening team time trial of the Vuelta a España will count only for teams and not for the individual classification, the organiser has announced.

The move was made after riders complained of sand section in the 7.4-kilometre first stage of the Spanish Grand Tour ending in Marbella.

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Gregor Brown

Gregor Brown is an experienced cycling journalist, based in Florence, Italy. He has covered races all over the world for over a decade - following the Giro, Tour de France, and every major race since 2006. His love of cycling began with freestyle and BMX, before the 1998 Tour de France led him to a deep appreciation of the road racing season.