Fernando Gaviria punched the finish straight of the Vuelta a San Juan stage 2 posito twice in the air as the silver ticker fluttered down the finish straight, then tapped his handlebars for good measure. For sprinters, a win is always a win, but at this early stage of the new campaign, the victory comes with the relief of a well-spent winter.

Gaviria's debut campaign with UAE Team Emirates was somewhat lackluster overall, with six wins but a knee injury that forced him to miss the Tour de France. However, he performed well in Guangxi last season, and his remarkable speed turnaround here in Guangxi has given him additional confidence.

"I can't deny that I'm in good shape," Gaviria told reporters arriving in the press room after the stage. "Since the team training camp in December, I've paid attention to my diet and followed a specific menu in training. The condition is good and I hope to continue this way until the Classic."

He has made a habit of racking up early wins on Argentine roads since the 2015 Tour de San Luis, when the teenage Gaviria sprinted twice to beat Mark Cavendish. He has won stages in each of the last four Vuelta San Juan, and his victory in the shadow of Pocito's Estadio Vicentenario was just his third on the finish straight.

In 2020, Gaviria was bolstered in the support role by the addition of Max Richeze, who had been the lead-out man at Quick Step for three years. Richeze has earned a reputation as a master of his craft, and Gaviria will be without Richeze in the finale in Pocito, where he was involved in a crash with 13 km to go. However, Gaviria's familiarity with the Pocito finale made up for his absence at the front.

"I win more with him than without him," Gaviria said of Richeze.

"It's no secret that Max is my guide in the sprints. He had a problem today, but we were able to work around it." [Brandon] McNulty and Ollie [Troia] helped me. I went with Peter Sagan and Alvaro Hodeg helped me. I was able to control them. When I decided to start, I had the power I needed to reach the line."

Gaviria finished ahead of Nicolas Naranjo (Agrupacion Virgen de Fatima) and Marco Benfat (Bardiani CSF Faizan). Sagan finished fifth, with Hodeg in tenth. Ahead of Tuesday's time trial, Sagan took the race leader's white jersey.

His chances of retaining the jersey might have been slightly better if the commissaires had not intervened to give the same time to Remco Evenpole (Detuninck-Quickstep), who fell with 3.2 km remaining in the first stage, and the other overall contenders, but Gaviria was able to get the judges' voiced support for the decision.

"I think it was a wise decision. He crashed with 3.2 or 3.4 km to the finish, and it's unfair not to give the GC contenders a chance, and they'll be going for GC in the time trial and in the Alto Colorado."