Welcome to this year’s Volta a Catalunya, Jorgensen is a strong favourite to win on the route but Carapaz and Lunke are strong competitors.
Todays Profile
Looks to suit a hilly sprinter on paper but the organisers have classified this as a hilly stage so maybe a chance for some of the punchuers on the startlist.
*** Dzamastagic Korosec Hofstetter
** Morin Sirironnachai Restrepo
* Barta Yates Lilovski Raileanu
And its a real mixed bag on the favourites list though we see strong sprinters Dzamastagic, Korosec and Hofstter at the top.
Break of the day includes 5 riders. Oram Barcelo Firdaus Malacarne Rubenis
Oram beats Barcelo and Rubenis to the top of the 1st Cat climb the gap is 3"40 to the peloton behind headed by Newton Foundation p/b Zwift
There’s not much happening as they come down the valley to the intermediate sprint which is won by Rubenis from Oram and Barcelo. Malacarne gets dropped in the sprint though and won't make it back.
Sprint two is a copy of the first with Rubenis from Oram while the breakaway companions don't bother sprinting this team and Firdaus rolls across for 3rd. The pace in the peloton is pretty high though the gap remains at 3"01.
There is a split in the peloton though with 23 riders dropped no big names except minor outsider Affonso
By the time we reach the bottom of the last climb with 40km to go the gap has come down to 1"45 and Firdaus has been dropped.
Zain-Omantel are drilling the pace hard on the climb now and have the breakaway in sight. The seem to be trying to make this a real test but its not having the right effect so far as none of the stage favourite have been dropped but it has brought the breakaway under 2 minute.
Barcelo was by far the strongest of the break on the final climb and he takes the points and KOM jersey for the day on count back as he ends up on the same points as Oram the gap is down to 1 minute to the peloton though there has been a real acceleration behind
That is because Newton has hit the accelerator on the descent with Ryuki and Jorgenson and gaps are developing everywhere in the bunch. help out Newton into the valley but no favourites are dropped despite the constant high pace.
Finally, this causes problems with 10km to go we lose the following riders on the final climb and all will lose over a minute today mainly due to bad placement in the peloton including our Defending champion. Berhane Madrazo Ablenado Schleck Mannion Benito Matte
Barcelo is caught as well up front with just the final short climb before the finish as the peloton is back together.
We have a steady rise with an even pace up the to the top of the climb but then we see a huge attack over the top fromfrom Sirironnachai with the following Smith Iturria Vanhoucke
1km to go the gap is small but the 3 riders minus Iturria are pushing on regardless they'll be at a huge advantage when the sprint starts.
Vanhoucke launches first he's got the gap behind Munoz Korosec Hofstetter are in the first line of the peloton.
Smith gets close but it's Vanhoucke days with the aggressor Sirironnachai grabbing a deserved 3rd.
the top ten is rounded out by Korosec Hofstetter Carpenter Primozic Munoz Lunke and Skjerping.
Missed opportunities for Korosec and Hofstter as they were the fastest from the peloton.
Bar the previously mentioned dropped riders all other favourites stay in the group. With Barcelo managing to stay in the Peleton over the top of the final climb and he is rewarded with 4th place on GC to end the day.
[C2] Volta a Catalunya 
