Alexey Tsatevich (Katusha) crowned a marvelous Volta a Catalunya by taking his first win of the year on the challenging final stage of the Spanish race. Part of a 12-rider group, the sprinter dug deep on the Montjuic circuit in Barcelona to stay with climber Primoz Roglic (LottoNL-Jumbo) whom he beat in a 2-rider sprint. Nairo Quintana (Movistar) responded to all the attacks from his rivals and won the race overall, with Alberto Contador (Tinkoff) and Daniel Martin (Etixx-QuickStep) completing the podium.

 

Nairo Quintana: This is one of the hardest fought wins of my career

After resisting repeated attacks by his rivals on a thrilling final circuit around Montjuïc, Movistar Team's Colombian prodigy Nairo Quintana added overall victory in the 2016 Volta a Catalunya to his two previous WorldTour one-week race wins, the 2013 Tour of the Basque Country and the 2015 Tirreno-Adriatico

 

After responding to a series of dangerous attacks, and with a Movistar Team that gave the best of itself despite being reduced by illness - José Herrada and Marc Soler joined Rubén Fernández in sick bay, also with symptoms of flu - Nairo Quintana today became the third Colombian rider to win the Volta a Catalunya. The champion from Boyacá imposed his authority on the race economically but decisively, braving the short (134km) and nervous seventh stage, with eight final circuits around Montjuïc, to add another prestigious win to his palmarès.

 

Supported on the climbs by Javi Moreno, Dayer Quintana and the excellent Winner Anacona, and on the flat by the reassuring Imanol Erviti, Quintana suppressed successive attempts on his race lead. In the first Intermediate Sprint of the day, Dan Martin (EQS) clawed back another second to move within 17" of the race lead.

 

Four laps from the finish, Aru (AST) attacked with Barguil (TGA) and Vervaecke (LTS), only to see their move neutralised by Froome (SKY), whose darting acceleration led Quintana to chase him down in person. Moves by Contador (TNK), Hugh Carthy (CJR) and, with 4km to go and the end of the final climb in sight, Dan Martin again, failed to unseat Quintana, and the Colombian ended the day with his 7" lead over Contador intact. The Irishman Martin joined them on the final podium.

 

The win gave Quintana his 25th win as a professional. It was his ninth GC and his third one-week stage-race at WorldTour level, all of them early-season events: the 2013 Tour of the Basque Country, the 2015 Tirreno Adriatico, and now the 2016 Volta a Catalunya. The winner of the 2014 Giro d'Italia will now take a small break before starting the 'Itzulia', his next objective, on 4 April (Monday next). The Volta a Catalunya 2016 will be remembered for the commitment and organisation of the Movistar Team and the masterclass issued by the greatest Latin American rider in history.

 

Quintana said:

 

"I'm very, very happy. I have started the year well. This is really an incredible win, one of the hardest fought I've had in my career. Thanks to the team for their phenomenal work. We suffered for this and today we have been rewarded.

 

"We started the day with more strength than legs. Three of our riders were ill, with José Herrada and Marc Soler down with flu, so we had to defend my race lead with five. It was as hard-fought a stage as I have ever ridden. I have won the Volta by just seven seconds, which isn't a big margin and shows that my rivals were strong.

 

"I wouldn't say I'm getting ahead of myself. There are still many races to go, and we start them from zero, but having beaten all the big names who were here gives me confidence that I am doing things well with the focus on my dream of winning the yellow jersey. Winning here in Catalunya also means that I am still growing, still maturing, and progressing towards the big goal that we have set this season. I will keep accumulating race days and hopefully reach the start of the Tour de France in good shape. I'll be in the Basque Country, then at Liège and Romandie.

 

"This win is dedicated to my team-mates Adriano Malori and Jonathan Castroviejo, wishing them both a full and speedy recovery. It is also for the fans, especially the Colombians. A few years ago it was a surprise for me to see them here: now it feels normal, but it is still great to see them, not just here, in France too, and all over Europe. They are wonderful people."

 

Triumphant Alexey Tsatevich: I’ve been so close to this win all week

As the most active rider of Team Katusha this week in Catalunya, Alexey Tsatevich finally found his luck on Sunday. After a number of Top-10 placements, today Tsatevich won his first ever WorldTour race, taking a nice win at the final stage of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya.

 

Katusha’s rider put himself in the daily breakaway, which was able to stay in front until the finish line. With two laps to go in a Montjuïc circuit Alexey Tsatevich attacked from the break together with Primož Roglič from Team LottoNL-Jumbo. The two riders were able to get 20 seconds advantage, enough to play for the stage victory. In the final sprint Tsatevich was the fastest, bringing Katusha a very nice victory.

 

“During this week I was so close to a podium place. I really wanted to get a good result, because I felt I am strong. I just missed something. Today I was super motivated. I knew my wife Christina would come to the finish for the first time to see me in a WorldTour race, so I wanted to give a nice present to her.

 

”The entire day I felt good in the break - I did not follow every attack, I just stayed calm and tried to save my energy for the final laps. This tactic worked well, so with two laps to go I saw my chance to attack and I went away with a LottoNL-Jumbo rider. But at the same time I knew Joaquim Rodriguez was 20 seconds behind and I was ready to help him in case he joined us. In the final, I gave my best on the climb and in the sprint. I have such a great feeling now; I am really happy with this victory. And I am especially happy I was able to surprise my wife,” said Alexey Tsatevich, who brought the 7th victory to Team Katusha in the 2016 season.

 

Behind the escapers there was a real war among the GC contenders at every pass of the Montjuïc climb. Joaquim Rodriguez and Ilnur Zakarin were among the most active riders, but in the end no one could get enough space to go away. Katusha’s Ilnur Zakarin finished 7th in the overall classification(+0.42), giving another strong performance after 4th place in the Paris – Nice earlier in March.

 

Joaquim Rodriguez became the best Catalan rider of the race.

 

Alberto Contador: I prefer to finish second with a good feeling instead of winning with bad legs

With seven seconds separating Contador from the GC lead going into the final stage of the Volta a Catalunya, the race was still on. On a final stage that started and finished in Barcelona, the race saw rapid, attacking riding from all of the teams. Tinkoff’s team leader finished the race second overall in a strong show of form for the coming Grand Tours, ending the last stage in the pack in 27th place, 14 seconds after the stage winner.

 

In a final stage covering only 136.4km, with a fast finishing circuit in Barcelona, today’s racing was going to be at a breakneck pace. The all-rounders were trying for a final stage win, and the GC contenders aiming to take seconds where they could. In spite of a finishing circuit that climbed and descended the Alt de Montjuic no fewer than eight times, riders remained fresh and in a final 10km that saw attacks aplenty from the GC contenders, the two remaining riders of the earlier breakaway were first across the line.

 

Sport Director, Steven De Jongh, gave some insight into the team’s strategy for the final stage.

 

“Before the start we planned that we wanted to put pressure on Quintana, and if that risked losing second place then that was a risk we would take. But he was always there and we couldn’t break the race. We were hoping for an attack from the others riders in the top five but that didn’t come, which was unfortunate. Quintana was always there and never really under pressure.”

 

Fifteen riders had escaped from 5km out at the start of the stage, with their numbers steadily dwindling as the stage went on, the remainder swallowed up by the peloton in the closing stages of the race, leaving two on the front. In the final few kilometres the attacks came from the GC contenders – not to catch the break, but to try and pull a few seconds from the GC leaders, Contador himself attacking 11km from the finish.

 

In spite of coming second in the GC, Contador was pleased with the outcome and, in particular, his form in the early season.

 

“It's a pity that I missed the win for four seconds at Paris-Nice and seven here, it would have been to round it off. However, if I had to choose between the form I have right now and achieving victory with worse sensations, I would definitely prefer the good sensations, especially ahead of the season's big goal, the Tour de France.”

 

Looking at his strategy during the race, Contador continued.

 

“In hindsight, had my tactics on the climb to Port Ainé been different I might have had more chances for the GC. Instead of trying to control the two BMC riders and Nairo, I should have let him take more responsibility. However, what was done was done and today it was really complicated to build any significant time gap. Still, as I said, I'm overall satisfied with how I feel right now.”

 

“The guys rode a good race and Alberto gave 110% as always,” said De Jongh. “It’s of course mixed emotions to come second again, but we can be happy with how the week has gone. The downside was that we had a bit of sickness in the team and those riders had to leave the race, but we can now recover and look towards Pais Vasco.”

 

The Volta a Catalunya is another race where both Contador and the team have put in a strong ride to place well, as the Tinkoff leader explained.

 

"My preparation this winter has been very good. I'm satisfied because this first block of races of the year is concluding with a very good form. My body is recovering and I look forward to more. We now have a week ahead of us before the next race, Pais Vasco."

 

Strong Primoz Roglic misses experience in two-rider sprint in Catalonia

Primoz Roglic finished second in the final stage of the Volta Cyclist a Catalunya today in Spain. The Slovenian Team LottoNL-Jumbo rider escaped out of the original breakaway with team-mate Koen Bouwman and rode free with Alexey Tsatevich (Team Katusha). Tsatevich, though, won the sprint.

Team LottoNL-Jumbo was represented with two men in the 12-rider breakaway. Koen Bouwman and Primoz Roglic were able to be grab a spot in the leading group.

 

“They were superb today,” Sports Director Frans Maassen said. “We got ourselves together during the last days and showed resilience after Wilco Kelderman’s abandon and Robert Gesink’s off-day. Primoz did a great job. Only the final sprint wasn’t good. He was surprised. That’s his lack of experience. Today, we were even closer to the stage victory than yesterday, and you want to grab it.”

 

According to Maassen, Roglic must be proud of his performance, but disappointment predominated.

 

“I was talking with Tsatevich in the finale of the race, but he wanted to wait for his team-mate Rodriguez,” Roglic explained. “I had to do it all on my own. I should have tried to drop him, but when you look at the whole stage, I did a good job. This week was one of the toughest in my career. The level was very high. This was a beautiful experience.”

 

Daniel Martin: I had to sacrifice the stage win for the podium

Daniel Martin was one of the most aggressive riders at this year's Volta a Catalunya, and his strategy paid off, as in the final day of the event he managed to leapfrog Richie Porte in third place. Victorious on La Molina after a spectacular attack, Martin wore the leader's jersey for one day before dropping to fourth following the grueling Port Ainé climb; still, he didn't give up, and helped by a very strong team, which was always there for him, clawed back the seven seconds that were separating him off the podium by going for bonifications at the intermediate sprints in three consecutive days, including on the final one.

 

Some of the GC riders tried their luck on this short and action-packed day, with the likes of Davide Formolo (Cannondale), Tejay van Garderen (BMC) and Chris Froome (Team Sky) surging to the front, but Dan Martin was always there, responding immediately and making sure they won't get any space.

 

The chasers finished only 14 seconds adrift, and Dan Martin was there, securing his third place in the overall standings, behind Nairo Quintana (Movistar) and Alberto Contador (Tinkoff). Martin, who's one of the best riders in the recent history of Volta a Catalunya, gave Etixx – Quick-Step its first ever GC podium in the Spanish race, and by doing this wrote a small piece of history, which is even more impressive considering it came in such a star-studded event, which had at the start many of the riders who are targeting the Tour de France in July.

 

"This morning, the goal was to try and go for the first bonification sprint to get a few seconds and grab the third place. The team did a great job with a perfect lead-out, but Thomas De Gendt anticipated us and I came third, taking only one second. At that point we began focusing on the stage. This is a strange circuit, and to be honest, today I wanted to go for the sprint. The last laps were really complicated and hectic, with a lot of attacks of the GC guys. There was also headwind in the final kilometers and it was difficult to make the difference. My plan was to attack on the last lap to get some more seconds, but Tejay van Garderen made his move earlier and I used the energy I had at that point to close the gap on him and save my third place. Considering everything, I must admit that I'm happy", said a delighted Dan Martin at the end of the 96th edition of the Volta a Catalunya, which saw his land his maiden World Tour podium of the season.

 

The Irish rider, who so far this year has amassed 18 racing days in the Etixx – Quick-Step jersey, talked also of his schedule for the next weeks:

 

"Now I will head to the Vuelta al Pais Vasco and stick to my original race plan in order to prepare the Ardennes Classics. Pais Vasco is an event I will discover again, considering I'm returning here for the first time since 2012, and we'll see what the race will bring."

 

Jarlinson Pantano left frustrated after strong sprint in Catalonia

Only two riders finished ahead of Jarlinson Pantano in Barcelona at the end of the seventh and final stage of the Volta Catalunya. 

 

“Like everyone here, I wanted to win,” the Colombian rider for IAM Cycling admitted after having crossed the line. “I gave it everything. I am disappointed because I really wanted to bring a victory to the team. We have been in the thick of it in all the stages. A success would have been that all our efforts had been rewarded. But in spite of the absence of a victory, it is important not to lose hope. We can still do great things.”

 

“It is a little frustrating,” claimed directeur sportif Lionel Marie. "Jarlinson Pantano had the victory in his legs. Honestly, I think that he missed it by 100 meters. More generally, I can certainly claim that our riders were making a daily impact in the all the stages at the Volta Catalunya. But we still are lacking that little something extra that brings the results. The points and victories are never that far away. The level of racing here is very high. The riders on the final podium for the overall are all of grand tour quality. We can be confident for the future.”

 

“I was very pleasantly surprised by Larry [Warbaase],” the French DS explained. “He made a great step in his Pro Tour development. He showed us that he is in very good shape. We can count on him for the Tour of the Basque Country, I am sure.”

 

With its third place today courtesy of Jarlinson Pantano, IAM Cycling recorded its tenth podium of the season. And as a result pocketed two more World Tour points for their ranking in the classification.

 

Porte and van Garderen: This shows what we can do when we are together

BMC Racing Team has capped off a successful Volta Ciclista a Catalunya with Richie Porte in fourth and Tejay van Garderen in fifth on the General Classification. After a solid week of racing, BMC Racing Team has also taken out the team classification, finishing 1’08 ahead of Cannondale.

 

Richie Porte tied with Dan Martin (Etixx Quick Step) in third place, an equal 17 seconds behind race winner Nairo Quintana (Movistar) but was relegated from the podium on a count back of points. Porte is happy with his week of racing despite not ending up on the podium.

 

“I think it was the perfect race at this time of the year. I didn’t really expect to hold onto the podium when Dan Martin was sprinting for bonus seconds but I think I showed that my form is good. It was always going to be a bridging race so I’m happy with my performance and it was a good chance to race with Tejay for the first time.”

 

Van Garderen agreed with Porte’s evaluation of the race.

 

“I had a lot of fun racing with Richie and I think we showed how aggressive we can be working together. I’m happy with my race and I think it can only get better from here. I now head to altitude camp and I’m looking forward to my next block of races after that,” van Garderen confirmed.

 

BMC Racing Team Sports Director Yvon Ledanois said the team had performed well throughout the race.

 

“We walk away happy. It would have been nice to be on the podium but in the end we have two riders in the top five on GC and we have won the team classification, so I think we showed our form and what we can do as a team.”

 

Chris Froome goes on the attack as part of big Sky offensive in Catalonia

Chris Froome secured eighth place overall at the Volta a Catalunya while a late attack saw Wout Poels take fourth on the final stage. The now-traditional Montjuic circuit played host to an intriguing finale in Spain, with Froome going on the attack in the closing stages to test his legs.

 

The Brit has made his return to racing at the event after a long block of training, and showed he is recapturing the rhythm of competition. Set up by Vasil Kiryienka, his move with 17km to go saw the peloton stretched to near-breaking point, before being overhauled by a selection of motivated GC contenders.

 

That opened the door for Mikel Nieve to launch a counterattack, making his way into another move that hovered between a reduced peloton and the day's breakaway out front.

 

It was from that group that the winner was produced, with Alexey Tsatevich (Katusha) outsprinting Primoz Roglic (LottoNL-Jumbo). Wout Poels launched a late move heading into the final kilometre and that turn of pace allowed him hold on for fourth.

 

Finishing in the group Froome held on to his eighth place finish, 46 seconds back on race winner Nairo Quintana (Movistar). The Colombian was able to hold on to his slender seven-second advantage, with brief attacks from the likes of Dan Martin (Etixx - Quick-Step) and Tejay van Garderen (BMC Racing) proving indecisive.

Nieve also produced a solid GC outing with 12th overall - 1:33 back on a victorious Quintana.

 

After the race Sport Director Nicolas Portal talked TeamSky.com through the plan for the day, and put Froome's strong top-10 performance into context.

 

"We sat down this morning with all the guys and made a plan together," he said. "We said that if you finish seventh, eighth, ninth it doesn't really matter. We really wanted to try to go for the stage win and make it a really hard race.

 

"We gambled not to focus on the breakaway and thought that the other GC teams would ensure that it didn't get too far away. Between five and three laps to go we wanted to make it harder, upping the pace for a lap with Nico (Roche) and Kiry - then launch an attack with Froomey. If you wait too long the GC guys will not let you go with one lap to go. So we went early with Froomey, and then Mikel took his turn. We then looked to try something with Wout, but with Mikel up the road he waited and waited until right at the end. The guys did well all in all.”

 

Portal was also happy to see an encouraging outing for Froome, who leaves the race in much better condition than 12 months ago.

 

"We always try to compare where Froomey was last year to where he is now," he added. "Last year he was not in the best condition. He was ill before Tirreno and then he was a long way down the GC in this race. For him to come back in his first race after two months and be at this level, with all the GC contenders he's going to race against at the Tour, is very encouraging. He only lost 25 seconds on the first summit finish despite that time off. He's got the training right and now he just needs a bit more race speed. That will come and he's feeling fresh so it all bodes well.”

 

Gerrans works for Impey on final day in Catalonia

South African time trial champion Daryl Impey had a well fought battle on the final stage of Volta Catalunya to finish in fifth place. The action packed finishing circuits around Montjuic saw Aleksey Tsatevich (Katusha) take the stage victory in the WorldTour race.

 

Sport director Neil Stephens praised Orica-GreenEDGE's efforts throughout the week long race and although the team didn't come away with a victory it was a fight to the very end.

 

"After yesterday was a bit of a disappointment, we really wanted to make amends," said Stephens. "Even though the race circuit was a little bit too hard for our capacity, we though it's the last stage so let's give it everything.

 

"We are sort of walking away from the Tour of Catalunya with a bitter sweet feeling, although we know the boys are going really good, we know they have tried really hard but we are walking away with empty hands.”

 

"In Gerrans case it's a matter of making sure he's going really good for the next races and for Impey he's just about to enlarge his family, so he won't race for a little while. So we thought why not go as deep as we can with him.

 

"The main thing of the day was to give it the best shot, normally it would probably be too much of a hard stage but we gave it everything we could with Daryl finishing in fifth place. It's certainly credit to him and hats of to the boys they all rode really well.

 

"Damien Howson is battling with the same virus that Christian Meier has got, so hopefully those two boys and the others will recover for the tour of the Basque country and be ready to fight again."

 

Romain Bardet continues streak of top 10 results in major stage races

Romain Bardet finised sixth overall.

 

"It was a good week facing a high level opposition with a great stage in La Molina and a small frustration the day after. AG2R La Mondiale Pro Cycling Team worked efficiently. It’s my third top 10 out of three stage races: I am satisfied with the first part of the season. I will recover and then prepare Liege-Bastogne-Liege and Tour de Romandie with a mountain training camp.”

 

Hugh Carthy after 9th place in Catalonia: I was nervous when I saw the start list

With yet another strong performance on the final stage of Volta a Catalunya, Caja Rural - Seguros RGA finished off a great week of racing in Spain. In a field only seen stronger at the Tour de France, the team’s young climber, Hugh Carthy, took the world by storm as he won the youth classification and finished ninth overall.

 

A truly incredible performance by the only 21 year-old Brit who - well protected by his teammates - always stayed close to his rivals on the demanding circuit in Barcelona. The Caja Rural - Seguros RGA riders were not only easy to spot near the head of the peloton but also up front in the breakaway, represented by the always opportunistic Lluis Mas.

 

The Spaniard attacked several times but at the end, he was caught with under 10 km left to go. Alexey Tsatevich (Katusha) won the stage, while Nairo Quintana (Movistar) took the overall win. Carlos Barbero finished 10th on the stage, securing his third top10 result in the race. In the team classification, Caja Rural - Seguros RGA impressed as well by finishing fifth overall, in front of several of the biggest World Tour teams.

 

"This was a hard stage but, luckily, my teammates supported me perfectly. We took it easy on the first laps but when Purito attacked, Barbero and Molina started to pull in the peloton to reduce the gap. At the end, we all finished together,” Hugh Carthy said.

 

“Before the race, I had a look at the start list. I was pretty nervous because anybody who’s anybody was here. To make top10 overall and win the youth classification is very important for me and for the team. Everybody worked hard to make this a great week for us. We won’t rest on our laurels, though. We will continue on this path in the upcoming races.”

 

Sports director Eugenio Goikoetxea said:

 

“This has been a great Volta a Catalunya for the team. In such an important race as this one, we have made top 10 on several occasions, both in the sprints and in the mountains. We finish ninth overall and win the youth classification. The results are more than satisfying for us”.

 

The next appointments for Caja Rural - Seguros RGA are GP Indurain (Saturday) and Vuelta la Rioja (Sunday) before the team takes on another World Tour stage race, Vuelta a Pais Vasco, which starts on Monday, the fourth of April.

 

Kudus and Siutsou on the attack in Catalonia

The 2016 edition of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya concluded today with a 135 kilometer long stage in Barcelona. The lumpy profile of the course made for an exciting race, which saw Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka riders Kanstantsin Siutsou and Merhawi Kudus go on the attack.

 

11 riders managed to get into today's break. With Siutsou representing the African squad in the lead group, the team could save some energy for the final kilometers, as these were to be tough ones to come.

 

At the front Siustou was part of a group of a few riders that managed to get back onto the wheel of Mohoric. However, when eventual stage winner Tsatevic rode clear from the break with Primoz Roglic (LottoNL-Jumbo) in tow, the Belorussian couldn't follow. He instead waited for Kudus, who himself had put in a good attack. The young Eritrean had good company in Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) and Daniel Navarro (Cofidis).

 

With two riders in the chase of the lead duo things were looking good for Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka. Yet, again, it wasn't to be their day as the GC contenders reeled everyone in except for Tsatevic and Roglic who crossed the line 14 seconds ahead of the peloton. Kudus was the team's best placed finisher coming home in 11th place.

 

Sports director Alex Sans Vega said:

 

“We wanted to get into the break again today, as this was our only option to go for a stage win. With all the big GC contenders racing the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya this year it was a hard stage to predict. Kanstantsin managed to get into the break with 10 other riders, among them also was the later stage winner, Alexey Tsatevic. In the finale their gap came down rapidly, especially after Fabio Aru attacked. With Chris Froome and Alberto Contador also trying to attack Nairo Quintana it was a hard task to stay out front.

 

“In the finale we wanted to ride for Merhawi, who did a good race. Kanstantsin helped him, after he was dropped from the lead group inside the last 10 kilometers, but the GC contenders wouldn't allow them to stay away.

 

”Overall it was a good week of racing. We knew that it was hard to achieve a top result in the GC given the strong competition. So we wanted to go for a stage win. We came really close the last three days, and I think we deserved a win. It didn't happen though, but I guess that's racing.”

 

Fabio Aru: This race gave me the form I was looking for

“I’m satisfied with how I have finishes this edition of the Volta Catalunya because these six days of raing gave me the condition I was looking for,” said Fabio Aru after the finish.

 

“Today on the final circuit I’ attacked at 30 km to go to try to take off a small group and to check how my legs could respond to the intense effort. Then we remained with three and it could have gone better but I’m happy anyway,” explained the captain of the Astana Pro Team.

 

“I can say the feedback from this week’s racing has been good and now I’m super concentrated on the next appointments,” concluded Aru.

Astana Pro Team did good performances in the mountain stages with Fabio Aru and Miguel Angel Lopez, the second place in the fifth stage for Dario Cataldo after a long escape and with today’s attack of Fabio Aru.

 

Louis Vervaeke after breakthrough in Catalonia: I need to use my headmore

Lotto Soudal had a very agressive style of racing this week and returns to Belgium with a good feeling. Thomas De Gendt won the fourth stage, the KOM classification and the points classification. Louis Vervaeke finished 20th on GC. Besides that, the team was very attentive and often a Lotto Soudal rider was part of a breakaway. Louis Vervaeke and sports director Mario Aerts review the past week in Catalunya.

 

Louis Vervaeke said: “The final stage was short but very tough. It was really difficult to get away, the pace was very high. With a few laps left, I tried to attack together with Barguil and Aru. Buy maybe I should have listened to the sports directors and have waited a little longer.

 

”I’m happy with my performance this week, I attacked several times. Eventually I finished 20th on GC, which is good but not very good. I need to race less instinctively and I need to speculate more. That’s a lesson I have learned this week.

 

“Now I return to Belgium. I’ve been away from home since a long time, now I’m going to enjoy a rest period together with my family and girlfriend. The next race on my schedule is the Volta Ciclista al País Vasco (Tour of the Basque Country). I hope I’ll have the same feeling as I had here in Catalunya.”

 

Mario Aerts said: “Our first goal was to win a stage and so we did. Thomas De Gendt felt really good during this week, but the way he managed to win the fourth stage was absolutely amazing. We knew that a top ten place on GC would be difficult because of the strong GC contenders. Louis was good during this race but he has to learn to race more wisely. If he had focussed more on his competitors, maybe a better position was possible. But he’s young and he has a lot of potential, he’ll learn from it.

 

“We’re very happy about the way our team raced this week. Almost every day we showed ourselves. Sander Armée did a great effort yesterday for Tosh Van der Sande, without his performance the break would have remained ahead. Tosh got a bit boxed in during the sprint but managed to obtain the third place. Also today, Sander did useful work for the team by securing the KOM jersey of Thomas. Everyone managed to do their job as well as they could, we’re proud  of the performances of the team.”

 

Giant-Alpecin with three riders on the attack on final day in Catalonia

After Laurens Ten Dam made yesterday’s breakaway, today it was Nikias Arndt who spent almost the whole day at the front of the race in today’s breakaway. From the day’s breakaway two riders were to stay clear, while behind Georg Preidler was the Giant-Alpecin’s fastest finisher taking 18th in the bunch sprint, just 14 seconds behind the two riders managed to stay clear from Arndt’s breakaway group.

 

Coach Morton Bennekou said:

 

“Today our goal was to be aggressive with all riders because we had nothing to lose. And because riders showed better and better form this week. Nikias hit the breakaway of the day but was dropped on Montjuic in the end. Both Tobias Ludvigsson and Warren Barguil were in the breakaways on the last KOM on the circuit. But in the end we did not succeed. Georg was best as number 18. Overall I see that almost all riders came really good out of this race.”

Trek-Segafredo:

 

FDJ encouraged by solid showing in Catalonia

FDJ had Arnaud Courteille in the break and he was only caught on the final lap.

 

"Arnaud did a very nice stage which reflects his week,” ensures his manager Thierry Bricaud. “He finished the Tour of Catalonia good although he lacks a little something, the right fuel, that that he had in the Vuelta for example but he is not far off. Obviously he is a bit frustrated not to have had a little bit more here but it does not matter. In a general context, I think the team really worked well this week. Apart from Lorrenzo Manzin and Cédric Pineau who abandoned today, they all finished and this work will be useful for the next races. It is really encouraging. "

 

Lampre-Merida regret early withdrawal of Louis Meintjes in Catalonia

Matej Mohoric was the star rider for Lampre-Merida as he was the lone leader for a long time.

 

“The feeling of our Volta a Catalunya is good, a beautiful stage victory with Cimolai and always protagonists in the final stages with the other guys. The teamwork was great, the group works well and therefore I am confident for the next races we are going to tackle,” sports director Orlando Maini said.

 

“Still there’s the regret for the withdrawal of Meintjes, after the crash. Louis has not been able to test the condition in the stage most suited to him. His recovery is going well and I expect him to be good at the upcoming events."