Alejandro Valverde of Movistar saved the best for the last to win the 60th Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista Del Sol Prologue on Wednesday afternoon in Spain.
The first race in Spain of the new season started with a 7.3km time trial in Almeria with a start outside the Gasi agricultural factory.
Team Sky's Peter Kennaugh set the early fastest time to beat with a time of 8.46.
That was beaten by Giant Shimano's Marcel Kitel who came home in 8.42, then Team Sky's Edvald Boasson-Hagen finished in 8.41 before Movistar's Javi Moreno flew home in 8:37.
Team Sky's Vasil Kiryienka had set the new fastest time of 8'35, a time his team mate Geraint Thomas just missed out on by less than a second, before Sir Bradley Wiggins went down the ramp at 15.08 local time.
Astana's Lutsenko crashed and was behind Wiggins who finished in 8.36.4 to go third behind Kiryienka and Thomas. However, this Team Sky Monopoly only lasted for five minutes as Movistar's Jon Izagirre flew home in 8.31 to take over the race in its 90th year (thirty years were lost to the civil war).
Alejandro Valverde was the last man down the ramp and was on his way after Richie Porte finished six seconds down on Izagirre's time and eight seconds behind Tom Dumoulin of Giant Shimano, who came flying in in 8.29.2.
All eyes were on Valverde, who avoided a Marshall and the Movistar rider smashed Dumoulin's time to pieces, finishing seven seconds quick in 8.22 to take the prologue victory.
Valverde told Eurosport: "The stage was good but I was in not that good form. "It was a twisty couse which i did fairly well, keeping a good pace throughout the course. I will be attempting to keep the leaders jersey from now on."
Result
1 Valverde 8.22
2 T.Dumoulin 8.29
3 J. Izagirre 8.31
4 V.Kiryienka 8.35
5 G Thomas 8.36
6 B. Wiggins 8.36