Volta a Catalunya: Thomas De Gendt wins from breakaway; Adam Yates seals GC

Thomas De Gendt (Lotto Soudal) dropped final breakaway companion Matej Mohorič (Bahrain-Victorious) and soloed to victory on the final stage of the Volta a Catalunya on Sunday.

Adam Yates (Ineos Grenadiers) secured the GC after Alejandro Valverde and his Movistar teammates had piled the pressure onto Ineos Grenadiers in a bid to disrupt their stranglehold on the GC podium.

There was a flurry of attacks in the GC group inside the final circuit, however, Ineos Grenadiers was able to fend off Movistar’s aggression to keep Richie Porte and Geraint Thomas second and third on GC.

American pair Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma) and Brandon McNulty (UAE Emirates) finished 12th and 13th respectively.

The lads 1⃣2⃣3⃣#VoltaCatalunya pic.twitter.com/WIVvZYrCC8

— INEOS Grenadiers (@INEOSGrenadiers) March 28, 2021

The victory was De Gendt’s fifth career stage win at the Volta a Catalunya.

“I was always successful here and so I tried to do my best,” stage-winner De Gendt said. “The first days I wasn’t very good but these last days I could feel some improvement. I had a really good day today. I’ve already won once in Barcelona, it’s special to win in such a big city.”

Mohorič and De Gendt had attacked out of the initial escape group on the first of the six Barcelona circuits. The powerful duo working together to hold off the chasers through to the final lap, at which point De Gendt made his move.

The Belgian attacked midway through the fearsome climb that punctuated the lap, punching away from Mohorič on the steep 17 percent slopes before time trialing clear through the final four kilometers.

“I knew I had to attack Mohorič because if he stayed with me until the downhill he would have dropped me on the downhill and I’d have got second place,” De Gendt said of his winning move. “I could feel he was slowing a little bit so I had to try.”

 

The early moves

The race split on the long category 3 climb at the start of the race, with around 32 riders going clear as the GC favorites waited in the peloton behind.

The break went into the final circuits of Barcelona with a four-minute advantage, at which point De Gendt and Mohorič made their escape. The pair soon gained a strong lead as they worked together effectively while the remainder of the breakaway behind failed to co-operate.

An initial chase group of nine riders behind De Gendt and Mohorič formed and then failed before Koen Bouwman launched a solo chase at around 15km to go. Atilla Valter and two others bridged to Bouwman in the final circuit, before Valter narrowly held off the charging GC groups for third place.

The GC battle

With Valverde hoping to hop onto the podium, the Spanish veteran set his team to work in the peloton at around 25km to go. Enric Mas and then Dario Cataldo piled the pressure onto the diminished group of overall leaders as Yates, Thomas and Porte lost their teammates.

A flurry of attacks flew from the bunch at 5km to go, but Ineos Grenadiers were able to respond and secure their podium slots. Valverde finished fourth overall.