With the 7.4km course taking the198-strong field over sandy patches, wooden boards and even plastic tiles, there were complaints about the likelihood of crashes, particularly due to the evening timing leading to poorer visibility.

Organisers responded by announcing how results would not count towards the general classification, thus leading to lesser need for risk, although team points and the stage win were still up for grabs.

“Having heard the concerns of teams and riders, and after an inspection of the course, [the race jury decided that] the stage will take place on the planned route," a statement explained, adding:

"[But] the recorded times will be counted for the team classification and not for the individual general classification.”

This led to some teams opting for safety first, with Team Europcar dawdling across the line two minutes behind the winner.

After a disorganised start Team Sky, the British team led by Tour de France winner Chris Froome, also eased down and finish well off the pace in 20th.

But for other teams the racing was fierce, with BMC triumphing in 8min 10sec, just a single second ahead of Tinkoff-Saxo.

Orica GreenEdge were awarded an identical time to hundredths of a second as the second placed team, but were awarded third.

On a testing course famed for its unorthadox and unpredictable nature, as today showed, racing will ramp-up in earnest tomorrow with a 158.7km second stage from Alhaurín de la Torre to Caminito del Rey.

As well as Froome, other favourites include Movistar duo Nairo Quintana of Colombia and Alejandro Valverde of Spain, second and third behind Froome at last month's Tour, and Astana's 2014 Tour winner Vincenzo Nibali, with much depending on how they have all recovered from their French exploits.

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