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Brandon McNulty is the first American to lead a WorldTour stage race since Tejay van Garderen in the 2019 Tour of California. Photo: David Ramos/Getty Images
23-year-old American Brandon McNulty announced himself to the world on Stage 4 of the 2021 Itzulia Basque Country. Avid cycling fans would have already known the McNulty name thanks to a number of WorldTour podiums and contract with one of the top teams in pro cycling. But his lead-grabbing coup on stage 4 revealed the true depth of his talent and determination.
Stage 1 – 13.9km individual time trial
Stage 1 was but a preview of what was to come. In the 13.9 km ITT around Bilbao, riders flogged themselves up the opening climb at 500w, before bombing down the false flat descent, and back into town for a 13 percent climb to the finish. Time trials have always been one of McNulty’s specialties, but on this day, he reached another level.