Italian team Liquigas won the first stage of the Tour of Spain on Saturday, a time trial of 7.7 kilometres in the south-western city of Granada, that saw Filippo Pozzato take the first golden jersey of the race for the overall leader.
The Italian side came ahead of two Spanish teams: Euskaltel by eight seconds and Caisse d'Epargne by nine seconds. Astana, the team belonging to race favourite and 2007 Tour de France champion Alberto Contador, finished in eighth place, 14 seconds behind Liquigas.
CSC of Contador's compatriot Carlos Sastre, the winner of this year's Tour de France, finished in fifth place, 11 seconds behind the winners. "It is a spectacular beginning but in 7.7 kilometres you can't take very important leads in the general standings," he said earlier Saturday in an interview published in sports daily AS.
Contador is attempting to become the first Spaniard to win cycling's three major stage races as he seeks to add the Tour of Spain to his Tour de France and Giro d'Italia titles. The 3,133 kilometre-long (1,943-mile) Tour of Spain finishes in Madrid on September 21.