Primoz Roglic has won the first stage of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya. With his fourth stage victory of the season, the Team Jumbo-Visma rider completed the excellent work of his teammates. With his win, he once again showed he is in great shape. Recently he also won the general classification of Tirreno-Adriatico.
Just under the top of the Alt de Romanyà, the day’s last climb, the Team Jumbo-Visma riders shifted up a gear to catch four breakaway riders. The finish in Sant Feliu de Guíxols was treacherous. First, it was downhill for several kilometres, then a sprint uphill in the last few hundred metres. Tobias Foss and Koen Bouwman gave Roglic a perfect ride to the line. Even though he was up against world champion Evenepoel, the Slovenian knew what to do with the opportunity.
It looked like a stage for the sprinters on paper, but nothing could be further from the truth. “I know I am not a true sprinter. But I knew I could fight for the stage win at this finish. I had good legs. Of course you need a bit of luck in the sprint. I am delighted”, said Roglic.
“I am very grateful to the team. My teammates did a great job. Without them, today’s result would not have been possible”, said the Slovenian, who won Tirreno-Adriatico two weeks ago. “They put me in a great position for the challenging last few kilometres. You always hope to win. It is terrific the plan worked.”
The peloton will face a difficult stage tomorrow. After 165 kilometres, an uphill finish awaits in Vallter. “I’ve never ridden this finish, but I’m sure we’ll have a good plan for tomorrow”, said Roglic, who will start in the leader’s jersey. “This is just the beginning. There are still some tough stages ahead. Of course I would like to win the general classification here, but this is just day one. The race is not over until we’ve reached Barcelona.”
Stage 1 Result
01 P. Roglič 3:48:17
02 R. Evenepoel +0:00
03 I. Schelling +0:00
