Chris Froome's bid to win two grand tours in the same calendar year got off to a solid start as Team Sky finished first in the Vuelta a Espana's opening team time trial.
Team Sky completed the 27.8km stage one route in Ourense in 30 minutes and 37 seconds to take victory, despite posting the same time as Spanish outfit Movistar, who boast grand classification contenders Nairo Quintana and Alejandro Valverde among their ranks.
Team Sky were adjudged the winners of the event, so Isle of Man's Pete Kennaugh will wear the leader's red jersey on Sunday's stage two.
Tinkoff, in their last grand tour before the team folds, finished down in eighth, leaving team leader Alberto Contador, who is bidding to win his home race for the fourth time, 52 seconds down on Tour de France winner Froome, Quintana and Valverde.
Spaniard Contador was the last man to double up in a calendar year, winning the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta in 2008, but only Jacques Anquetil (1963) and Bernard Hinault (1978) have previously won the Tour de France and Vuelta in the same season.
Britain's Simon Yates, whose brother Adam finished fourth in this year's Tour de France, helped his Orica-BikeExchange team to third, six seconds back, while team time trial world champions BMC Racing were a further second behind in fourth.
Sunday's 159km second stage from Ourense to Baiona is expected to end in a bunch sprint.
Source: PA-WIRE
