Visma-Lease a Bike will contest the 24km Vuelta stage 5 team time trial in Figueres with seven riders after Axel Zingle withdrew following a crash that left him with two dislocated shoulders. Team times on the stage will be taken at the fourth finisher, increasing the disadvantage of starting a rider short. Zingle had been a key contributor to the team's Paris-Nice TTT victory earlier in the season. The squad views a TTT victory as unlikely but remains confident in its remaining riders. Jonas Vingegaard lies second overall, level on time with David Gaudu.
That's a huge loss, especially because Axel is a very strong rider who was also crucial in Paris-Nice,
Just calculate how much you lose if you suddenly have to start with seven riders instead of eight. It is what it is, though, and we're still confident we have a good team. We're going for it.
I don't expect the gap between the top teams to be much more than half a minute or so,
We're definitely at a disadvantage now, having a man down. There was a real desire in the group to go for the win, but I don't think that's a realistic goal anymore with Axel's loss. The level will be very high, with all the top teams well-prepared and equipped.
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