Adam Yates conquers a centenary Volta a Catalunya
The British Cyclist Adam Yates (INEOS Grenadiers) has been proclaimed winner of the 100th edition of the Volta a Catalunya, after the dispute of the seventh and last stage, of 133 kilometers with start and finish in Barcelona and in which the Belgian Thomas de Gendt (Lotto Soudal) took the last stage victory.
Yates, who relieves the Colombian in the record Miguel Angel Lopez, thus improves his second position of that 2019 edition to inscribe his name as champion of the centenary edition, commanding a podium in which he is accompanied by two teammates, the Australian Richie porte and the also british Geraint thomas, at 45 and 49 seconds respectively.
For its part, the Spanish Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), winner of the round in 2009, 2017 and 2018, had to settle for fourth place overall, despite Movistar's work to try to boost him up in the general standings.
With the Slovak Peter sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe), winner on Saturday in Mataró, taking the first sprint of the day in Molins de Rei, the attacks followed one another in a peloton that was cut off with just over 100 kilometers to go, having passed the top of the Coll de la Creu D'Ordal.
Thus, 32 runners integrated a large getaway, with names like those of the Spanish Marc Soler (Movistar) and Luis Leon Sanchez (Astana-Premier Tech) or that of the Colombian Rigoberto Uran (EF Education-NIPPO), which went from having an income of 2:30 to just under 70 kilometers at 4:00 just before the start of the six-climb Montjuïc circuit.
Precisely in the first of them, the Belgian Thomas de Gendt (Lotto Soudal) jumped from the group of escapees, and after him came the Slovenian Matej mohoric (Bahrain Victorious). They soon gained a small lead as the pursuing group split in three from behind.
Dutch Koen Bouwman (Jumbo-Visma) ventured alone to hunt for the leadership duo, and Movistar worked piecemeal at the front of the pack to reduce the distances and try to put Alejandro Valverde on the podium, something that INEOS finally managed to avoid.
De Gendt and Mohoric faced the last ascent with 1:08 of rent, and with five kilometers left it was the Belgian who struck the final blow to claim the last stage victory.
Classifications:
Stage:
1. Thomas de Gendt (BEL / Lotto Soudal) 3:06:10.
2. Matej Mohoric (SLO / Bahrain Victorious) at 22.
3. Attila Valter (HUN / Groupama-FDJ) 1:42.
4. Sébastien Reichenbach (SUI / Groupama-FDJ) 1:46.
5. Alejandro Valverde (ESP / Movistar Team) mt
-General.
1. Adam Yates (GBR / INEOS Grenadiers) 26: 16.41.
2. Richie Porte (AUS / INEOS Grenadiers) at 45.
3. Geraint Thomas (GBR / INEOS Grenadiers) 49.
4. Alejandro Valverde (ESP / Movistar Team) 1:03.
5. Wilco Kelderman (NED / BORA-Hansgrohe) mt
