The Slovenian Tadej Pogacar (UAE) won the Volta a Catalunya this Sunday, after scoring his fourth partial victory in the sprint in the seventh and final stage of the test, starting and finishing in Barcelona,
Pogacar imposed his pedal stroke in a sprint of a small group, ahead of the Frenchman Dorian Godon (Decathlon AG2R), who was second at the finish line, and the also Frenchman Guillaume Martin (Cofidis).
The Slovenian has been the complete dominator of the Catalan round, which he led with a comfortable advantage since he put on the leader’s jersey in the second stage, the first of the four he has won.
“I’m so happy to have won,” said Pogacar, who succeeds his compatriot Primoz Roglic on the race record.
Pogacar, winner of the Strade Bianche, finished at the top of the podium with 3:41 ahead of the Spanish Mikel Landa (Soudal Quick-Step) and 5:03 over Egan Bernal.
The Colombian from Ineos, who was already third in February in the Galician test of O Gran Camiño, got on the podium on Saturday in the penultimate stage and defended his place this Sunday against the threat of the Russian Aleksandr Vlasov (Bora) and the Spanish Enric Mas (Movistar).
Movistar suffered the bad news of the fall of Nairo Quintana, who was returning to competition in Europe and who abandoned this Sunday, after also falling the day before.
The Colombian cyclist “feels well and has multiple scratches,” Movistar reported on its social networks.
The stage, of 145.3 km, was decided in the final circuit with six passes over the top of the second category Montjuïc Castle, where the peloton finished the day’s breakaway.
In the last two kilometers there were some attacks, such as that of the Portuguese Joao Almeida in the last 1000 meters, but Pogacar and the rest of the pursuers who were coming from behind reintegrated him for the sprint finish.
“He made a good attack on the last small climb and almost made it. I would have liked it to happen, but I am also happy for the victory,” said Pogacar.
The Slovenian plans to race only Liège-Bastogne-Liège, before competing in the Giro, in a year in which he has set his sights on trying to win the Italian round and the Tour de France.
If he achieves it, he would be the first man to achieve the double since Marco Pantani in 1998.
– Classifications of the Volta a Cataluña after the 7th and final stage with start and finish in Barcelona:
. Classification of the 7th and final stage of the Volta a Catalunya
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO/UAD) 145.3 km in 3h 15:2
(media: 44,7 km/h)
2. Dorian Godon (FRA/ACT) m.t.
3. Guillaume Martin (FRA/COF) m.t.
4. Stephen Williams (GBR/IPT) m.t.
5. Patrick Konrad (AUT/LTK) mt
6. Sergio Higuita (COL/BOH) mt
7. David González (ESP/CJR) mt
8. Antonio Tiberi (ITA/TBV) mt
9. Aleksander Vlasov (RUS/BOH) mt
10. Wout Poels (NED/TBV) m.t.
. Final general classification:
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO/UAD) 28h 21:29.
2. Mikel Landa (ESP/SOQ) at 3:41.
3. Egan Bernal (COL/IGD) a 5:03.
4. Aleksander Vlasov (RUS/BOH) and 5:56.
5. Enric Mas (ESP/MOV) at 6:01.
6. Chris Harper (AUS/JAY) m.t.
7. Lenny Martinez (FRA/GFC) at 6:02.
8. Antonio Tiberi (ITA/TBV) 6:33.
9. João Almeida (POR/UAD) mt
10. Lorenzo Fortunato (ITA/AST) a 7:27.
11. Wout Poels (NED/TBV) a 7:41.
2024-03-25 03:06:18
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