Volta a Catalunya 2018 Stage 2: Valverde sprints to victory and leaders jersey

Volta a Catalunya 2018 Stage 2: Valverde sprints to victory and leader’s jersey

Stage 2 at the Volta Catalunya is played on an undulating route between Mataró and Valls. The finale is 6.3 kilometres climb at 4.8% and an ensuing drop down to the line. Still, the race comes down to a bunch sprint with Alejandro Valverde powering to victory and the overall lead. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 2nd stage 2018 Volta a Catalunya

1. Alejandro Valverde (spa)
2. Daryl Impey (rsa) s.t.
3. Jay McCarthy (aus) s.t.
4. Egan Bernal (col) s.t.
5. Matej Mohoric (slo) s.t.
6. Enrico Gasparotto (ita) s.t.
7. José Joaquin Rojas (spa) s.t.
8. Tao Geoghegan Hart (gbr) s.t.
9. Tom Skujins (lat) s.t.
10. Alex Howes (usa) s.t.

GC after the 2nd stage
1. Alejandro Valverde (spa)
2. Jay McCarthy (aus) + 0.04
3. Daryl Impey (rsa) + 0.06
4. Nairo Quintana (col) + 0.11
5. Matej Mohoric (slo) + 0.12
6. Bob Jungels (lux) s.t.
7. Eduard Prades (spa) s.t.
8. Enrico Gasparotto (ita) s.t.
9. Jordi Simon (spa) s.t.
10. Egan Bernal (col) s.t.

Important GC contenders + 0.12

Race report
Shortly after the start Igor Merino, Antonio Molina and Mikel Bizkarra join forces to race to a lead of 4 minutes. When the gap falls below 1 minute – with 60 kms to go -, Andriy Grivko bridges across, but to no avail. The front group is brought back with 46 kms out.

Cyril Barthe attacks 40 kms before the line. He wins the intermediate sprint, but more important Alejandro Valverde and Nairo Quintana are second and third, thus taking times bonuses of 2 and 1 seconds.

Just before the last climb, Coll de Lilla, Cyril Barthe is brought back, while leader Álvaro José Hodeg is dropped on the lower slopes. Pierre Latour jumps clear just before the top, but his attack is neutralised.

The race boils down to a bunch sprint with Alejandro Valverde outgunning Daryl Impey and Jay McCarthy. So that’s a time bonus of 10 more seconds, catapulting the Spaniard into the overall lead.