BARCELONA, 24 (EUROPA PRESS)
The Slovenian cyclist Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) won this Friday the fifth stage of the Volta a Catalunya, played between Tortosa and Lo Port over 176.6 kilometers, in a new brutal head-to-head with the Belgian Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quick Step), which he burst 25 meters from the finish line to reinforce his leadership.
It seemed that they were going to arrive tied in times and that the goal bonuses were going to decide the new leader. But, after an even battle between the two ‘roosters’ of this Volta, Roglic made Evenepoel explode a few meters from the finish line to put him 6 seconds, plus another 4 in bonus.
The last kilometer, hard with ramps close to 10 percent average gradient, was the scene for several changes of pace by Roglic and Evenepoel, the Belgian being somewhat more active. They were accompanied by Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates), who reached them after 2.3 kilometers -and his teammate Marc Soler-.
The Catalan worked for the Portuguese and trained in that final kilometer he melted. The Portuguese, however, did the same 300 meters from the end, powerless in the face of so much change of pace from the Slovenian-Belgian duo. And, although Remco was in the lead with 50 meters to go, after a powerful attack, Roglic had a plan in mind.
Perhaps knowing that he had better legs, knowing that winning at the Mirador was synonymous with greatly reinforcing his condition as leader, the Slovenian attacked hard when the Belgian was already choking on the final ramp. And he didn’t stop until he crossed the finish line, seeing in the ‘rear-view mirror’ how Evenepoel arrived almost doing that 6 seconds later.
Almeida entered 12 seconds behind, with his teammate Marc Soler fourth, 28 seconds behind, while Rigoberto Urán (EF Education-EasyPost) was fifth, 44 seconds behind, ahead of Lenny Martínez (Groupama-FDJ) and the Spanish Mikel Landa (Bahrain- Victorious), seventh at 56 seconds.
With this victory, Roglic reinforces his leadership and now has a 10-second lead in the provisional overall standings over the Belgian, who will have to try to turn the tables on Sunday, in the last stage with the demanding final circuit on the Montjuïc mountain , in Barcelona.
The good finish for UAE Team Emirates allows Joao Almeida to climb to third place, provisional podium, 1:02 behind Roglic, with Mikel Landa fourth at 1:50, the same time lost by Marc Soler who rises from tenth to fifth place in this provisional general classification, the most affected being Giulio Ciccone (Trek-Segafredo) who lost 4 places.
Like the Italian, there were several cyclists who lost more time than expected in this tough Lo Port pass, at the Mirador del Portell, with an 8.6-kilometer average gradient of 8.8 percent and 11 percent ramps. A new port that may have come to stay in the Volta due to its spectacular nature and beautiful surroundings.
–CLASSIFICATIONS.
-Stage.
1. Primoz Roglic (SVN/Jumbo-Visma) 4:27:41.
2. Remco Evenepoel (BEL/Soudal-Quick Step) a 6.
3. Joao Almeida (ENG/UAE Team Emirates) 12.
4. MARC SOLER (ESP/UAE Team Emirates) 28.
5. Rigobert Uran (COL/EF Education-EasyPost)
-General.
1. Primoz Roglic (SVN/Jumbo-Visma) 21:29:25.
2. Remco Evenepoel (BEL/Soudal-Quick Step) a 10.
3. Joao Almeida (ENG/UAE Team Emirates) 1:02.
4. MIKEL LANDA (ESP/Bahrain-Victorious) 1:50.
5. MARC SOLER (ESP/UAE Team Emirates) m.t.
