Video: XDS Astana suffer bruising start to Tour de France after team time trial crash in Barcelona

The Kazakh squad eventually finished 23rd and last on the day, 2 minutes and 18 seconds behind stage winners Visma | Lease a Bike. At first glance, and with the crash not shown on the live broadcast, the result looked like a disappointing ride. The explanation, however, was far more dramatic.

Simone Velasco, Nicolas Vinokourov and Harold Tejada all crashed in the first half of the course, derailing Astana’s rhythm and ending any realistic chance of a competitive time. 

All three riders managed to complete the stage, but they crossed the line carrying the early wounds of a Grand Tour that has barely begun.

The team later confirmed that there were no fractures or serious injuries. Velasco, Vinokourov and Tejada did, however, suffer bruising and multiple abrasions.

“Huge bad luck for our team,” XDS Astana wrote after the stage, explaining that the crash had cost them heavily in both time and momentum.

Footage circulating on social media appeared to show the incident happening at high speed as the Astana train passed over a marked manhole cover. The sudden jolt unsettled several riders, with multiple members of the squad losing balance and crashing hard. 

The same section of road also caused problems for Groupama-FDJ United, where Clément Berthet and Guillaume Martin were brought down in a separate incident.