De Gendt Takes Over Volta A Catalunya Race Lead

21 March 2018 05:08

Thomas De Gendt of Lotto Soudal has won the third stage of the Volta a Catalunya.

This year’s race, the fourth oldest in the world, had Alejandro Valverde of Movistar for a 153.2km stage from Sant Cugat to Camprodon “Vall de Camprodon, although due to the weather conditions, the stage was finishing in Camprodon.

Five riders in Chevrier (AG2R), Thomas De Gendt (Lotto Soudal), Mas (Caja Rural), Torres (Burgos), Mikel Bizkarra (Euskadi) go into the break with De Gendt winning the sprint in Centelles.

With 65kms left, the gap had dropped under two minutes, so De Gent went away and took the points on the day’s main climb – the Coll de Bracons to take over the KOM jersey.

With less than forty kilometres to go, the lead to De Gendt, Mas and Bizkarra was now 1.05.

Mas beat De Gendt to the points on the second sprint and in doing so took over the sprint jersey from Tom Bohil.

Onto the 8% category 2 climb – the Collabós and De Gendt was clear again and 2.10 over the peloton with 18.6kms left.

Frank, Quintana, Simon Yates and Thibuau Pinto went after De Gendt, who was 44 seconds ahead with 8.5kms.

De Gendt kept going and was twenty eight seconds ahead with two kilometres  left.

De Gendt went under the Flam Rouge as Yates and Quintana attacked each other and stayed away to win in 4.13.48 whilst behind him there was a crash with British riders Adam Yates and Hugh Carthy going down down.

Simon Yates of Mitchelton Scott held on for second place in a race that De Gendt now leads by 23 seconds ahead of Valverde.

De Gendt said: "We did not get much advantage and we worked together until the long climb. When I attacked I got more than two minutes. I did not think I could make it but as I had some seconds I had to try. I really like this race and even with this head wind I still enjoyed it."

 

 

 KEV MONKS FOR DIGITAL SPORTS GROUP

Source: DSG