Stage eight of the Vuelta a Espana started in Jerez de la Frontera as riders prepared for a tough 185.5km slog to Yunquera.
However, it was the pre-race antics that caught the eye of viewers after riders queued next to shopping aisles and cash registers to begin the race from inside a Carrefour supermarket.
The neutralised start saw riders pedal past food aisles and sponsored bins before exiting the Cadiz supermarket and beginning the race proper.
The bizarre start came about due to the French retail chain’s longstanding sponsorship of the Spanish road race, with the partnership now celebrating its 12th year.
Carrefour also sponsors the red jersey, given out to the race leader at the end of each stage, and previously sponsored the Tour de France’s Polka Dot jersey which goes to the rider with the most mountain-related points.
While a supermarket start is certainly unusual, the Vuelta has an impressive track record when it comes to unusual starting locations.
In 2013, a team time trial stage began from an oyster-breeding raft in Galicia and just two years later, racers began a stage from inside a Spanish aircraft carrier.
The first stage of the 2017 Vuelta saw riders race through a Roman amphitheatre in Nimes, while in 2022 the peloton took off from outside a meat processing factory in Murcia.
The Vuelta is the last of cycling’s three Grand Tours of the year alongside the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France.
Tadej Pogacar claimed the first two in dominant fashion but the Slovenian is not competing in the Vuelta this year.
Primoz Roglic, a three-time winner of the race, led the general classification ahead of Thursday’s sixth stage having won the fourth stage.
The race is contested over 21 stages and ends in Madrid on Sunday 8 September.
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
MORE : Olympics schedule and results: Team GB’s Matthew Hudson-Smith takes silver after dramatic 400m finish
MORE : Team GB star Sophie Capewell in floods of tears as she pays tribute to late father after clinching gold
MORE : Olympic cyclist forced to dash into rowdy pub for toilet break mid-race
Share your story or advertise with us: Whatsapp: +2347068606071 Email: info@newspotng.com
