Volta a Catalunya 2024: Leader Pogacar wins second consecutive mountain stage

foto: Cor VosTadej Pogacar counters a Mikel Landa attack with 7.5 kilometres left to climb. He leaves the Basque behind and to his second consecutive win in the high mountains. Obviously, he cements his overall race lead. Landa is the best of the rest. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 3rd stage 2024 Volta a Catalunya

1. Tadej Pogacar (slo)
2. Mikel Landa (spa) + 0.48
3. Antonio Tiberi (ita) + 1.02
4. Wout Poels (nld) s.t.
5. Sepp Kuss (usa) s.t.
6. Aleksandr Vlasov (rus) + 1.10
7. Cristián Rodríguez (spa) s.t.
8. Chris Harper (aus) s.t.
9. Lenny Martinez (fra) s.t.
10. Enric Mas (spa) s.t.

12. Cian Uijtdebroeks (bel) + 1.20
15. Egan Bernal (col) + 1.38
17. João Almeida (por) + 1.46

GC after stage 3
1. Tadej Pogacar (slo)
2. Mikel Landa (spa) + 2.27
3. Aleksandr Vlasov (rus) + 2.55
4. Lenny Martinez (fra) + 3.21
5. Chris Harper (aus) + 3.22
6. Enric Mas (spa) + 3.27
7. Sepp Kuss (usa) + 3.34
8. Wout Poels (nld) s.t.
9. Egan Bernal (col) + 3.50
10. João Almeida (por) + 3.52

Race results
Bauke Mollema attacks early on, while Florian Lipowitz is the first to bridge across after more than 10 kilometres. Javier Romo jumps across when the gap starts to shrink and the peloton gobbles up the three moments later.

Several riders try to get clear in the run-up to the Port de Toses. Mauri Vansevenant, Ethan Hayter, Juan Pedro López, Hugh Carthy, Christopher Juul-Jensen, Nicolas Prodhomme, Harold Tejada and Andreas Kron enter the climb 1 minute ahead of the peloton. Andreas Leknessund, Iván Sosa and Stephen Williams track them down in the climb, but the peloton keeps them close.

Tejada wins the KOM sprint ahead of López and Carthy, while Juul-Jensen is swallowed by the bunch on descent.

The lead of the ten hovers around 1 minute for tens of kilometres, which is still the gap when they enter the Port de Cantó. The attackers are gobbled up in the first part of the climb before Tejada pockets most KOM points at the summit.

Aleksandr Vlasov takes a time bonus of 3 seconds in the intermediate sprint in Rialp.

Victor de la Parte accelerates early in the finish climb, but he is caught after a 3 kilometres effort. The peloton than remains bunched.

Mikel Landa strikes with 7.5 kilometres left to climb. Tadej Pogacar follows hs move and leaves the Basque behind. Sepp Kuss tracks Landa down and the two push on together. Chris Harper makes it three in the chase group, but Pogacar is flying. The Slovene wins his second consecutive mountain stage.

Meanwhile, Landa drops Harper and Kuss on the lower slopes and he finishes in second.

Another interesting read: route 3rd stage 2024 Volta a Catalunya.