The Slovenian was in his first stage race since breaking his wrist in three places last April and showed great legs in the two-kilometre Cote de Pike, blowing apart the peloton with the help of his UAE Emirates teammates.

Pogacar, who last year cracked under sustained pressure from Jonas Vingegaard's (26) Jumbo-Visma team in an Alpine stage and had to settle for second overall, has already signalled his intent - he will go for the kill whenever given an opportunity.

He accelerated 500 metres from the top of the Cote de Pike, with only defending champion Vingegaard and France's Victor Lafay (27) able to follow, in a sign that the battle for the title will again be a two-man affair.

Two of the podium contenders are already out of contention as Enric Mas (28) crashed out of the race and Richard Carapaz (30), who was involved in the same incident on a descent, took a major hit and finished more than 15 minutes off the pace.

Most of the other top guns made the junction with Pogacar and Vingegaard only after both slowed the pace at the top of the hill before the descent into Bilbao.

"I was feeling OK, the engine is on," said Pogacar.

"The last climb was really tough but there was nothing else I could do. That was the tactics, the execution was perfect we were full gas in the climb," added the Slovenian.

He raised his arms in celebration after British teammate Adam Yates (30) won the stage to take the first yellow jersey after attacking in the final descent.

"When we were at the top everybody was tired and it was perfect for Adams to grab the opportunity."

Pogacar took third place and the four-second bonus that goes with it while Vingegaard finished ninth, also 12 seconds off the pace.

In Yates, Pogacar might have found the perfect lieutenant in his campaign for a third title - a rider who would be a leader in almost any other team.

"If I can cause of a bit of carnage...," Yates told a news conference, indicating that he felt he could.