It’s time for the 105th edition of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya - a hilly and mountainous week-long WT race which has in the past been won by some true legends - Roglic, Pogacar, Higuita, Yates, Lopez, ValVerde, Quintana, Porte, Rodriguez, and so on and so forth.
This year the race has the following profiles in the peloton according to PCS:
- VINGEGAARD Jonas
- EVENEPOEL Remco
- ALMEIDA João
- PIDCOCK Thomas
- VINE Jay
- ONLEY Oscar
- MCNULTY Brandon
- CICCONE Giulio
- MARTINEZ Lenny
- GALL Felix
Which is… a weird sort of list, since it ignores Lipowitz, Skjelmose, Riccitello, Mas, Gaudu, and countless other strong riders.
The big question will of course be - will Vingegaard crush Evenepoel, Pidcock, and Almeida like he did to the competition in Paris-Nice? Surely this field is stronger?
All of that will be answered in the coming days!
- 23/03: Stage 1 — Sant Feliu de Guíxols to Sant Feliu de Guíxols
- 24/03: Stage 2 — Figueres to Banyoles
- 25/03: Stage 3 — Mont-roig del Camp to Vila-seca
- 26/03: Stage 4 — Mataró to Vallter
- 27/03: Stage 5 — La Seu d’Urgell to La Molina/Coll de Pal
- 28/03: Stage 6 — Berga to Queralt
- 29/03: Stage 7 — Barcelona to Barcelona
Stage 5
… is shortened again. But less than yesterday’s stage 4; and contrarily to stage 4, the small shortening doesn’t change the nature of the stage.
Pidcock (🇬🇧 Q36.5) was a bit too hot, actually. Damn…
Evenepoel (🇧🇪 Bora) exhibits constant performances this year: always dropped in long climbs as soon as someone accelerates a bit.
Vingegaard (🇩🇰 Visma) still has no competitors.
Almeida (🇵🇹 UAE) saved what he could after his crash.
The whole FDJ mountain team is a disaster. Their first rider, Martin🇫🇷, came after the 30th position after over 4 minutes, together with Caja Rural and Burgos riders (“I feel good” did he say before the race…). Gaudu🇫🇷 finished half-an-hour behind, like Pidcock🇬🇧 but without visiting a ravine like the Englishman… Possibly the worst World Team, even Alpecin had a better climber; and FDJ did put their best guys on this race… (ah no, saved by Lotto! 😃)
Gall (🇦🇹 Decathlon) had a lot of merit today, he didn’t even insult Lipowitz (🇩🇪 Bora) and L. Martinez (🇫🇷 Bahrain). While V. Paret-Peintre (🇫🇷 Soudal-QS) couldn’t do more than he did, these 2 royal pains in the ass slew down the 4-man group which could have lost less time to Vingegaard🇩🇰 if they had behaved more correctly.
Onley (🇬🇧 Ineos) was a disappointment. I don’t know whether he suffered a crash or similar delay like others, perhaps?
Stage 2
- 2nd Veistroffer breakaway in 2 days;
- 2nd moustache victory in 2 days.
It’s been almost a year since Cort showed any sort of form, but he’s been consistently winning for 10 years now at WT level, which is impressive. I personally thought he was done for.
I’ve thought so for several years, and yet, every season there is at least one unexpected success. 👍
Stage 7 (final)
One hour of Remco Circus 🤡 for nothing.
Globally, Vingegaard🇩🇰 was very strong (the crashes of other leaders helped him (again!), but he looked easy anyway). But the Visma team wasn’t good. He was a bit lucky not to find himself in a position at any moment in the week, where he would have needed them.
Stage 3
Veistroffer is off again. I wonder which moustache will win today - my money’s on Godon.
Oh crap, I hadn’t noticed your message when I posted mine, which is quite redundant.
And the bet was good (thanks to the Danish connection, though 🙂).
edit: ah, I read now that it may have been a simple pothole and not a Danish front wheel.
No worries, it’s because of all the many posts in here I am sure 😂
Yep, I cannot follow. Perhaps tomorrow you’ll make the same post, as the stage will be shortened (so Veistroffer🇫🇷 and the moustaches🇫🇷🇩🇰🇫🇷 may go at it again), and I can notice it that time.
I think it looks very much like a Godon-stage, he’s really fast this year. Credit to the champion’s jersey!
That would be the first time since Démare 2020 that the NC jersey is not a curse over his wearer. Cavagna, Sénéchal, Madouas, Lapeira experienced relatively or utterly shitty season(s) after they got the title…
Stage 6
Pidcock (🇬🇧 Q36.5) couldn’t start today, because of his crash yesterday.
Almeida (🇵🇹 UAE) started but seemed very diminished, and finished a quarter-of-an-hour behind.
Gall (🇦🇹 Decathlon) lost contact in the last descent, and in spite of the help of Lidl-trek, couldn’t catch up with the first group, as ahead Evenepoel (🇧🇪 Bora) was pulling hard for his teammate Lipowitz🇩🇪, with the help of L. Martinez’s (🇫🇷 Bahrain) teammate Eulalio🇵🇹.
Vingegaard (🇩🇰 Visma) did a double acceleration 2 or 3 km from the goal, and dropped everyone. He didn’t create a big gap but enough to score another stage. Perhaps he didn’t try to do more than ensuring the stage victory, perhaps Lipowitz🇩🇪/Martinez🇫🇷 worked better together than yesterday, probably a bit of both. The Frenchman didn’t do much, but at least Lipowitz🇩🇪 was going more regularly than yesterday.
The bill paid by Gall🇦🇹 and Skjelmose🇩🇰 is expensive: 2 minutes lost… Most of it on the flat… No position lost by the Dane as he was already significantly behind, but the Austrian drops from 2nd to 6th in GC. And no hope to recover anything tomorrow on the final stage in Barcelona, as he is now 1 full minute behind the 5th, and the 5th is Evenepoel🇧🇪.
A bit better day for Gaudu (🇫🇷 FDJ) in terms of position at the finish: 14th. But that’s already over 4 minutes slower than Vingegaard🇩🇰, L. Martinez🇫🇷 and Lipowitz🇩🇪. Apparently, he has problems with his back since Paris–Nice. And it was G. Martin🇫🇷’s turn to collapse, with a loss of more than 10 minutes, he gets out of top-30 in GC. And that’s still the best GC position in the team…
Stage 1
Nothing happened. Despite the terrain (winding coastal road), nobody attempted anything. Not once. The peloton was rather strongly pulled by different successive teams for dozens of miles.
Which is… a weird sort of list, since it ignores Lipowitz, Skjelmose, Riccitello, Mas, Gaudu, and countless other strong riders.
Gaudu🇫🇷 came 4 minutes behind, alone and last of his team. I mean, if it had been on purpose, in order to go on a breakaway another day, 1 or 2 teammates would have done the same, I guess.
Ciccone🇮🇹 also disappeared. Only Verona🇪🇸 and Skjelmose🇩🇰 remain for GC at Lidl-Trek.
Surely this field is stronger?
Definitely, as Paris–Nice field was decimated before and during the race.
It was a bit surprising to see Vingegaard🇩🇰 lead the peloton for a couple of downhill miles just before the finish.
It was a bit surprising to see Vingegaard🇩🇰 lead the peloton for a couple of downhill miles just before the finish.
I think he just wanted to stay out of trouble and not risk a crash. But yeah, it looked a little funny.
Stage 3
- 3rd Veistroffer breakaway in 3 days;
- 3rd moustache victory in 3 days;
- the Remco Circus has arrived in town, with an eventful, colourful show that will delight young and old alike! 🤡
Pidcock (🇬🇧 Q36.5) took part to this sprint as well (and finished 6th). The first two were uphill, so that was more understandable, but this one was flat. Does this mean that his team is on the hunt for points, or do you see other motives?
Stage 4
What was that? No Veistroffer, no moustache? And they dare call it a stage? 😃
Pidcock🇬🇧 is just hot, in fact. He grabbed time bonuses at the first I.S., at the last I.S, and then again in the final sprint.
The final kilometre was very peculiar. I lost Cort🇩🇰 at the last ‘curve’ (was that a roundabout in disguise?) which seemed to determine most of the final positions, I thought he had lost 20 positions, but I see him 5th on the classification.
