The dominance of Danish cyclists continues in the Galician race, now totaling 11 victories.

Julius Johansen is the first leader of O Gran Camiño after setting the best time at the foot of the Tower of Hercules. The UAE Team Emirates XRG rider clocked a time of 17’43”, finishing 16 seconds ahead of his former teammate at the Portuguese Anicolor/Campicarn, Rafael Reis. It was a productive day for Portuguese cycling, as the podium was completed by Nelson Oliveira, a rider from Movistar Team of the same nationality.

The stage unfolded with a strong presence of spectators on the streets of A Coruña. A rain-free day in which the main contenders for the overall victory did not lose significant time. Jorgen Nordhagen (Team Visma Lease a Bike) was fourth, at 28” behind the winner, Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates XRG) was fifth at 41” and Alessandro Pinarello (NSN Cycling Team) eighth at 46”. The main casualty of the day was Movistar Team rider Iván Romeo, affected by a puncture on his front wheel when he was setting the best intermediate time. The leader of the Navarre-based team finished 1’30” down at the finish line located at the Tower of Hercules.

Julius Johansen secured the 11th victory for Danish cyclists in Galicia, following previous wins by Jonas Vingegaard (6) and Magnus Cort Nielsen (4). The race was marked by an incident in which a pedestrian was hit after stepping into the path of one of the riders. The woman was taken to a hospital. The organization wishes her a speedy recovery.

The race heads into the province of Lugo tomorrow, with a stage starting in Vilalba and finishing in A Mariña, at the beaches of Barreiros, covering 148 kilometers and featuring two third-category climbs.