The opening day of racing at Vuelta a Burgos saw Team dsm-firmenich PostNL take control throughout the stage, setting things up brilliantly before Pavel Bittner powered to a superb sprint stage win.

Beginning the day with the goal of keeping GC finisher Max Poole safe and going for a stage result with fast finisher Bittner, Team dsm-firmenich PostNL rode cohesively as a unit throughout the afternoon. Vigilant for any crosswinds that never materialised, the team was ever present at the front of the peloton, keeping each other out of trouble as the stage progressed. With the early breakaway caught, Poole smartly snagged three bonus seconds in the intermediate sprint before all attention turned to the finale with Bittner. The great positioning work continued and the team was always in the first 15 riders through the many roundabouts, dropping Bittner off towards the front over the last kicker. From there, Bittner used his racing instincts and bided his time, before launching a devastating kick to take his first professional win and the Men’s program’s 14th of the year.
 

Click here for quotes from Bittner and coaching staff.