This is the final stage in Volta a Catalunya and also the final clash of the Titan on the brutal mountain finish in Parc Natural dels Ports, 12,4 km at 7.8% with many sections above 10%. Besides the brutal finish the route is quite flat only a mid-stage climb of 12.7 km but at a gentle 3.1% average will interrupt the route from Vall to the banks of the Ebro River near Móra d'Ebre and from here a flat route in the river valley right up to the finishing hazard.
A reminder of the situation, Patrick Schelling (UBS) leads the race with 1” to Justo Tenorio (Desigual) at 6” Rigoberto Uran (Minions) so could not be more close.
Behind them Chen Shikai, Ki Ho Choi, David Abal, Primoz Roglic, Ryan Eastman, Louis Meintjes, Sergei Pomoshnikov all within about 2 minutes.
12°C and some heavy clouds and very little wind.
Reminder of current GC:
Rank
Rider
Time
M
1
Schelling
leader
80
2
Tenorio
1"
84
3
Uran
6"
82
4
Shikai
41"
81
5
Choi
51"
80
6
Abal
1'22"
80
7
Roglic
1'31"
80
8
Eastman
1'38"
81
9
Meintjes
1'56"
80
10
Pomoshnikov
2'05"
79
11
Talansky
2'24"
79
12
Intxausti
2'58
81
13
Hoem
2'24"
77
14
Ranaweera
3'00"
78
15
Martinez
3'35
76
The Race
It is raining hard as the riders roll through the neutral zone, the flag drops and Andriafenomananiaina accelerates with Galiev at wheel. The attack quickly countered by Kononenko, Le Bon and Hirschlein
After 6 km with ceasefire in the pack, another 5 rider moving first Chamorro then Topchanyuk and Scarponi and finally Seibeb and Battaglin
Another 3 km and we get the final attack to form what will become the 13 rider breakaway of the day, Niyonshuti with Baltazar and Liphongyu
The last three joins the breakaway with 154 km left at this point gap at 2’13 seemingly the pack doing their best to keep it under control, and there is good reason for this, every single one of the riders in the break are excellent climbers, on paper Chamorro as the most dangerous. Best in GC Niyonshuti 19th at 4’37” also best in KoM 5th with 26 points.
The breakaway starts the cat.2 climb with 3’17”, Niyonshuti attacks for the KoM from 1 km, with no reaction from the others. He moves to 3nd in the competition
Virtual KoM:
The peloton loses quite a lot of time on the climb, saving the climber squads for later, still with the typical tempo riders at the front. 4’52 when they pass the top of the climb. 110 km left for the breakaway.
But as soon as the climbing is over, strong riders on the flat especially Tennant with the help of his team and others brings back the distance to 2’20 with another 37 km to the finish
2 km left before the breakaway will start the climb, distance 1’49.
In what could look like desperation Hirschlein and Seibeb attacks, even though any attempt on the flat will only play into the hands of the pack.
That was off course a waist reeled in by the breakaway companions within a few minutes.
We are now at the climb with 7 km to the top, Liphongyu leading the breakaway, at this point the pack still waiting with cycleYorkshire domestics leading.
Then we get what every spectator was waiting for, attack from the favorites.
Again it is Roglic with his good acceleration opening.
The order behind him is Ortega, Mannion, Uran, Tenorio, Kozhatayev, Talansky, Pomoshnikov.
All top 10 riders, and also riders like Carapaz, Bennett Machado, Intxausti amongst the first 30-35 riders.
6.3 km left, gap 1’34”
Uran attempt to find the wheel of Roglic, but can’t get close enough so have to fall back to recharge. Tenorio moves to the front to take care of the pursuit.
With some semi-climbers between Tenorio and the other top 10 riders a dangerous development for the favorites sitting a bit low, and they would be: Schelling, Abal, Eastman, Choi all sitting behind the bush at the corner.
Talansky with a fine move improved to 4th behind Ortega
5.6 km left for the break Kononenko dropped at 39” Roglic at 1’13”
Pack at 1’25” (130 riders)
5.2 km left for the breakaway.
The last 400 meter seen some important developments as Ortega could not follow the intense pressure from Tenorio, and where Talansky managed to take over Tenorio’s wheel, the fact that a few weaker riders was in the mix dropping back fast, created a gap behind Talansky.
Tenorio with Talansky clued has also caught Roglic and Kononenko
In the pack the order is Pomoshnikov, Shikai, Carapaz, Ortega (hit by a bombshell), Machado, Kozhatayev, Meintjes, Egidio (fantastic legs today and still moving fast), Uran, Intxausti, Schelling Mannion, Eastman, Ranaweera, Bennett, Domagalski (also brilliant from him, Martinez, Abal, Choi
5.2 km left for the breakaway.
Group Tenorio at 1’02”
Pack at 1’29” (122 riders)
This is a crucial moment in the race, Tenorio, Roglic and Talansky hit the back of the 12 riders from the original breakaway, with a gap of 1’19 to the pack, now led by Shikai
Can they manage to pass all those riders without losing time? Or will they take time to recharge?
Over the next km, first we see Carapaz and Meintjes take the front in the pursuit.
Meintjes though fall back to fourth in the pursuit, Carapaz still leading it in front of now Mannion and Machado.
Behind Meintjes, Uran, Eastman, Shikai, Schelling and Pomoshnikov almost side by side
Choi a few riders further back and a few more down to Abal
Up front Tenorio has now almost found the first position with Andriafenomananiaina and with him Topchanyuk trying to hang in.
Although Scarponi and Liphongyu lead with a inch at the opposite side of the road.
Roglic in the middle of the group, while Talansky struggling just to hang on at the back
Although the official timing is 1’02 from Tenorio to the pursuit, the two groups are not far apart anymore, just that the slopes a so hard right now.
With 3.7 km left the two groups melt together everyone from top 10 ten is here. Tenorio might have felt the pain from pushing too long and have slowed a little, but he is still leading in front to the two Popo4Ever riders.
Without being extreme the pace set by Tenorio is intense, the group cut down from 90 to 54 over the next 700 meters.
The situation is Tenorio, Andriafenomananiaina, Liphongyu, Roglic, Meintjes, Talansky, Eastman, Shikai
In the first part in the chunk of riders in the corner Schelling, Uran, Choi and Pomoshnikov, more critical Abal in a battle to keep up, he is several riders further back, between the trees.
3 km to the top
Not long before we reach the point where Tenorio has set his mark on this profile. With a short brutal acceleration he opens a new gap, Andriafenomananiaina counters but soon not able to keep up. Liphongyu explodes and it is now up to Roglic, Meintjes and Eastman to close the gap.
2 km left, Tenorio just shows that he is best climber, already banked 38” to the next group
In the pursuit still Roglic, more likely attempting to drop Schelling than bring in Tenorio
Behind Roglic, in this order Meintjes, Eastman, Shikai, Intxausti, Choi, Chamorro, Talansky, Galiev, Topchanyuk, Schelling
Other not mentioned top 10 riders further back but in this 26 rider pursuit except Abal having a horrible day 55” further back.
No reason dragging this any longer regarding the stage win, with 400 meter to go Tenorio raises his arms for the stage win and clearly also for the GC, there is 1’23 down to the next rider.
The pursuit has 800 meters left at the same point in time.
Talansky seems to have regained some of the strength we saw earlier not leading the group, then Topchanyuk, Eastman, Schelling, Meintjes Roglic, 17 riders in this group, Pomoshnikov in danger of dropping only barely hanging in.
Uran disconnected and have lost 51” to the pursuit and further 32” down Abal
Talansky opens from 300 meters, Topchanyuk Roglic side by side behind him. Close behind those Eastman and Meintjes
Some meters down to Choi, Intxausti, Schelling and Seibeb (stunning performance from him today), there is a gab behind those of 33”
Roglic 2nd, great stage from him, Topchanyuk 3rd beneficial for him being in the breakaway today. Meintjes 4th and Talansky 5th.
Eastman 6th, Choi 7th, Seibeb 8th and Intxausti 9th.
All these mentioned 8 riders at +41”
Schelling 10th exploded on the last few 100 meters, and lost additional 31” and he sure looks like he could use some sugar, but he won’t mind any of that, because 2nd in this race is a great result by him.
In GC most important as mentioned Justo Tenorio won in front of Patrick Schelling, but also former GC 3rd Rigoberto Uran was pushed down to 5th by Ki Ho Choi grapping the last podium and Primoz Roglic moving from 7th to fourth.
With good consistent stage result Primoz Roglic also ended on top of the point classification.
Ole Haavardsholm kept his KoM jersey and also the team classification unchanged with ENI – MOL on top, same goes for Suranga Ranaweera staying in the U25 lead.
Volta a Catalunya 
