Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe) briefly thought he had the opening stage of the Volta a Catalunya within reach. Only to be edged out in the final metres of a tough uphill sprint.
Speaking afterwards to Sporza he said it was, “It was really close.”
Meanwhile, half the field finished multiple minutes behind, including the four Canucks racing. Notably, Lidl-Trek’s Derek Gee West finished 1:46 off the pace, in 91st.
The effort, Evenepoel explained, was “more like a one-minute push on a rising road,” making positioning and timing crucial. The Olympic champ felt he executed well: “I was always in a good spot. When I looked down, I saw a gap and thought it might be enough.” But in the last 75 metres, Dorian Godon surged past.
Despite the disappointment, Evenepoel almost clawed his way back in the last few metres.
Still, as reported by Sporza, the Belgian focused on the positives. “This is a good start to the week,” he said, pointing to strong sensations on both climbs and descents. With easier days ahead before tougher stages, Evenepoel believes the early signs are promising.
Meanwhile, Tom Pidcock, (Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) fresh off a thrilling second place at Milan-San Remo, had another podium finish. It was really hard along the coast — up and down, with crosswinds, tailwinds, headwinds,” Pidcock said. “We knew we had to be up there because it’s such a technical final. I had to go a bit early, but in that kind of sprint if you hesitate, it’s over. Honestly, that’s probably the best sprint like that I’ve ever done, so I can be happy. The legs felt heavy at the start but much better in the end.”
The first stage had a large climb midway, with several short and steep ones toward the end. In those final grippy sections, Gee-West seemed to be further back in the peloton and would miss the selection.
Michael Leonard (EF Education – EasyPost) also seemed to have a tough first day, finishing 100th. Pier-André Côté (NSN Cycling Team) was 147th, and Riley Pickrell (Modern Adventure), who is probably dreaming about a flatter day where he can go for the bunch sprint, finished 160th.
Stage 2 is another lumpy day from Figueres to Banyoles for a total of 167.4km.