After some turmoil in the beginning, the unimpressive Riwal-Platform rider Nicolai Brøchner set sail for a solo breakaway. Astana’s Davide Malacarne sees an opportunity, attacking to join the party.
Clearly the strongest of the two, Malacarne has no problems winning the first KoM sprint.
Starting on the last climb to Sogliano al Rubicone, the duo has 2’23 to the peloton with another 39 km to go. Davide Malacarne realize there might be a chance to make it if the peloton can’t find a good rhythm.
Davide Malacarne set a high pace on the climb, and on the way down Nicolai Brøchner is beginning to drop back, the pace is just too high for the young rider. The distance between Malacarne and the peloton has increased, he now got 3’04 with just 16 km left.
Malacarne takes a solo win with 1’12 to Nicolai Brøchner and Jakub Mareczko who has attacked on the last part of the descent. The peloton get in at 1’52.
Evaluation:
Overall : This was Davide Malacarne’s first win of the season and his first win since winning a stage in La Volta Ciclista a Catalunya in 2010.
Out of a field of 163, 128 riders got in with the peloton, all the important riders got the same time and there was no serious crashes on the stage.
Astana: A brave attempt by Malacarne, the moral in the Astana camp is at its maximum after the first stage.
Stage
1
Davide Malacarne
Astana Pro Team
2h32'59
2
Nicolai Brøchner
Riwal Platform Cycling Team
+ 1'12
3
Jakub Mareczko
Southeast – Venezuela
s.t.
4
Ben Swift
Team Sky
+ 1'52
5
Elia Favilli
Southeast – Venezuela
s.t.
6
Sergey Chernetckii
Team Katusha
s.t.
7
Enrico Barbin
Bardiani - CSF Pro Team
s.t.
8
Andrea Pasqualon
Team Roth
s.t.
9
Serghei Tvetcov
Androni - Sidermec
s.t.
10
Peter Velits
BMC Racing Team
s.t.
Spoiler
38
Eros Capecchi
Astana Pro Team
+01:52
41
Dario Cataldo
Astana Pro Team
+01:52
54
Maxat Ayazbayev
Astana Pro Team
+01:52
64
Matvey Nikitin
Astana Pro Team
+01:52
70
Bakhtiyar Kozhatayev
Astana Pro Team
+01:52
88
Miguel Ángel López Moreno
Astana Pro Team
+01:52
91
Alessandro Vanotti
Astana Pro Team
+01:52
GC
1
Davide Malacarne
Astana Pro Team
2h32'49
2
Nicolai Brøchner
Riwal Platform Cycling Team
+ 1'16
3
Jakub Mareczko
Southeast – Venezuela
+ 1'18
4
Ben Swift
Team Sky
+ 2'02
5
Elia Favilli
Southeast – Venezuela
s.t.
6
Sergey Chernetckii
Team Katusha
s.t.
7
Enrico Barbin
Bardiani - CSF Pro Team
s.t.
8
Andrea Pasqualon
Team Roth
s.t.
9
Serghei Tvetcov
Androni - Sidermec
s.t.
10
Peter Velits
BMC Racing Team
s.t.
Spoiler
38
Eros Capecchi
Astana Pro Team
+02:02
41
Dario Cataldo
Astana Pro Team
+02:02
54
Maxat Ayazbayev
Astana Pro Team
+02:02
64
Matvey Nikitin
Astana Pro Team
+02:02
70
Bakhtiyar Kozhatayev
Astana Pro Team
+02:02
88
Miguel Ángel López Moreno
Astana Pro Team
+02:02
91
Alessandro Vanotti
Astana Pro Team
+02:02
Points
1
Davide Malacarne
Astana Pro Team
10
2
Nicolai Brøchner
Riwal Platform Cycling Team
8
3
Jakub Mareczko
Southeast – Venezuela
6
KoM
1
Davide Malacarne
Astana Pro Team
13
2
Nicolai Brøchner
Riwal Platform Cycling Team
9
3
Enrique Sanz Unzue
Southeast – Venezuela
4
Team - Astana Pro Team
Young - Nicolai Brøchner - Riwal Platform Cycling Team
Before the first climb a series of breakaway ends out in a group of 10 Riders, including KoM leader Giovanni Visconti, Astana chooses not to attempt to get in a break.
Despite the fact that IAM Cycling and Tinkoff is better placed in the GC, it is Katusha leading the peloton for Rodriguez, the break has 2’23 when they start the first climb to Alt De Bracons.
The distance does not chance much over Alt de Coubet when the breakaway starts the hard HC climb to Alt de la Creueta it is 2’09, but the pace has been higher and way back Magnus Cort Nielsen (Orica) has left the race after riding alone for a long time, the breakaway is now reduced to 7 riders.
Now the pace is again increased and rider after rider drop out from the back of the peloton, close to the top the breakaway is just 3 riders, Natnael Berhane (Dimension Data) and Sergio Pardilla (Caja Rural) in front and Giovanni Visconti inbetween. At this point it is Astana pulling the bunch.
Damiano Caruso (BMC) attacks
The breakaway is neutralized on the downhill, and the peloton reach the final climb to La Molina in a very high pace, the first 5 km is a matter of elimination, race leader Jarlinson Pantano has to drop back, also Kudus, Majka, Ulissi, Stetina, Cháves, Jungels and many others are forming groups behind the favorites.
With about 3km left Contador attack
The pace is increased further, BMC is pulling very hard not to let Contador get to much time. Over the next 2 km again many riders have to let go, Christophe Péraud, Mikel Landa, Rein Taaramae, Mikel Nieve, Mathias Frank and Jakob Fuglsang is now in groups behind a peloton of about 22 riders. Contador has 35”.
Beñat Intxausti, Joaquim Rodriguez and Andrew Talansky are still here, but it looks like that won’t be for long.
Pierre Rolland attacks
Contador takes a solo win with 34 sec. to Pierre Rolland who gains another 20 sec. to a group of 17 riders led by Robert Gesink. Fabio Aru sits in this group coming in as 16th.
Evaluation:
Overall:
Contador takes his 2nd stage win in a row, now the top favorite to win this year’s Volta a Catalunya. With an overall lead of more than a minute to Barguil.
Joaquim Rodriguez lost 1’30 today falling back from 3rd to 7th, previous race leader Pantano lost 3'36” and is now out of top 20, while Pierre Rolland moved from 10th into 5th position.
Astana: Aru only lost time to Alberto Contador and Pierre Rolland, on paper an ok result, but as a top favorite for the stage and with a goal of a top 5 in the GC , is it not looking too bright for Astana. Aru need to gain 26” somewhere to get in top 5, with just two hilly and one flat stage left.
The weather is quite nice considering the early date and location. The stage starts with a huge breakaway of more than 10 riders, the peloton does not seem to care, and the break gets over 3 minutes very fast.
The peloton reconsider, suddenly the pace gets very high and the distance melt fast, soon the break is over, but just to make way for another one.
This time it is smaller and more acceptable, it is Van Gestle (Topsport Vlaanderen), Mezgec (Orica), Bystrøm (Katusha) and Dowsett (Movistar), should no longer a threat to the favorites.
The break gets a little more than 4 minutes, and that is the distance they will keep up to the La Houppe climb with about 80 km left, but form there the peloton starts the race full speed. At the 60 km mark, where most of the cobbles start the peloton is splitting and the first 63 rider are left behind.
28 km left, the peloton is reduced to just 17 riders. The distance is down to 1’10 but Van Avermaet has attacked and is now just 10 sec behind the break, with the cobbles over and just one hard climb left.
Van Avermaet and the break gets caught before the 20 km banner, the favorite group with Boom is now down to just 11 riders, but the pace is reduced now, everyone seems tired and other strong riders like Stybar, Terpstra and Sagan is not far behind.
21 riders gets to the sprint together, it is won by John Degenkolb over Sep Vanmarcke and Geraint Thomas.
Evaluation:
Overall: Another great win by John Degenkolb, an amasing season for him so far. A stage in Etoile de Bessèges, won Tirreno – Adriatico and Dwars door Vlaanderen and now this.
Being a top favorite it must have been a huge disappointment for Cancellara coming in as just 15th.
The most impressive result might be Jürgen Roelandts 4th , his best since 3rd in Tour of Flanders 2013. Luka Mezgec from the break makes it 8th also a brilliant result for him.
Astana: Boom was not amongst the favorites here, so a top 10 would have been great, finishing just outside is not that bad, but not that great either. The positive is that he was able to sit with the best to the end, giving Astana some hope after a series of bad cobble race results.
Astana performed way below media expectations (no suprise to me ), could barely hold the group together but at least both race leader Malacarne, and media favorite Cataldo got home in the main group.
IAM Cycling did very well wining the stage, but losing 28” Davide Malacarne has still got the overall lead.
Stage 5/7 Llanars Vall de Camprodon - Valls 199.3 km
It is raining from the very beginning with clouds hanging low, a breakaway of 5 riders take of including KoM leader Giovanni Visconti. The peloton is setting a controlling pace, keeping the break at about 3 minutes.
Natnael Berhane 2nd in the KoM, is worried about the situation and starts a solo pursuit, he needs KoM point to stay in the competition.
Berhane does not make it, only Visconti, Prades and De la Cruz is left in front, when the peloton hits the cat.2 climb with just 14 km to the finish, the break has about 50 sec.
Bauke Mollema attacks and Joaquim Rodriguez attempts to counter. It is still raining hard.
Visconti makes it to the top first, with Mollema and Rodriguez close behind, but the peloton catch up on the way down. Now Jakob Fuglsang is pulling very hard up front trying to split the favorites making a gap for Aru. The rain is hammering down.
The peloton close the small gap, about 75 riders approach the final sprint together. It is Joaquim Rodriguez making it to the line first, in front of teammate Rein Taaramae. Tony Gallopin takes the last podium.
Evaluation:
Overall:
This was Rodriguez first win since the 15th stage of Vuelta a España last year.
With all the favorites finishing in the same time, the only change in the GC was that Rodriguez surpassed Geniez due to the bonus seconds.
Astana: Nothing gained nothing lost. It look more and more like Astana cannot meet the sponsor objects.
24/3-29/3 2016 Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali 2.1
21/3-27/3 2016 Volta a Catalunya 
25/3-2016 E3 Harelbeke
