Favorite Primoz Roglic (Junbo-Visma) has won the first stage of the Tour of Catalonia. The Slovenian won on Monday after 164.4 kilometers around Sant Feliu de Guixols north of Barcelona in the sprint of the 25-man leading group ahead of world champion Remco Evenepoel (Quickstep/BEL) and the Dutchman Ide Schelling (Bora).
The best Austrian was Bahrain professional Hermann Pernsteiner, ten seconds behind, in 72nd place, his teammate Rainer Kepplinger was 104th (+0:47). Patrick Konrad, who, like other drivers, had a fall a few kilometers before the end, dragged himself across the finish line in 160th place (09:07). After initial examinations, he suffered abrasions but no fractures, according to his team.
Italy’s Dario Cataldo, who also fell, was less fortunate and sustained multiple fractures. As announced by his Trek racing team, the 38-year-old suffered fractures of the left femoral head and collarbone, the right hip socket, several ribs and two lumbar processes without neurological effects and collapsed lungs on both sides. Cataldo is responsive and stable after the first aid. It was said that he would have an operation on his thigh after being transferred to another hospital.
