Joaquim Rodriguez wins Volta Ciclista a Catalunya

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Katusha’s Joaquim Rodriguez seals the overall while Lieuwe Westra of Astana wins the final stage. Froome 6th and Adam Yates 22nd on GC

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Joaquim Rodriguez wins Volta Ciclista a Catalunya

After an initial 71 km on the open roads, the final stage included eight local laps over the Alt de Montjuïc climb in the Barcelona area. Because of the wet roads, the laps were shortened from 6.2 km to 5km to ensure rider safety on the descents.

Heavy rain and a very slippery surface did not help his cause but it didn’t prevent a large group of 13 riders to go clear forming a long-lasting break. Astana’s Lieuwe Westra attacked in the closing laps to claim a solo victory at 1:22 to Marcus Burghardt (BMC) and Thomas Voeckler of Europcar after two-and-a-half hours of racing. Rodriguez sprinted in with the GC favorites to take tenth on stage 7 at 2:07.

Joaquim Rodriguez Catalunya

Despite the rain and wet roads on the final day of racing in Catalunya, Katusha let nothing deter them from the purpose of the day: to deliver Joaquim Rodriguez to the finish line as the winner of the 94th Volta Ciclista a Catalunya. Mission accomplished.

A happy Joaquim Rodriguez said afterwards “This victory is important to me. It is a big race in Spain and also a WorldTour race. Now, two weeks in a row we win in the WorldTour,” he said, referring to last week’s win by Alexander Kristoff in Milano-Sanremo.

“Also this was a real race, especially when you saw Alberto Contador trying all the way to the end to gain the four seconds he needed. You saw the real Contador who always fights for victory. This race was especially hard with all the wind and the rain, but that’s what makes bike racing exciting. Otherwise there is nothing to organize.”

In the race for the overall, a late attack from Alberto Contador was quickly brought back by Rodriguez, keeping the general classification status quo with fellow Spaniard Contador in second at four-seconds and American Tejay Van Garderen (BMC) rounding out the podium in third. With the win, Joaquim Rodriguez moves into fifth place on the UCI WorldTour.

Rodriguez concluded: “I want to thank the organizers for taking away the dangerous part of the circuit and for thinking of the well-being of the riders. Now I look forward to trying to win in Liège-Bastogne-Liège and then on to the Giro d’Italia. (photo ©Tim De Waele / Team Katusha)

Westra_Catalunya

Winner of the final stage, Lieuwe Westra Photo: Jon Herranz (voltacatalunya.cat)

Now or not at all for Alberto Contador
Four seconds behind the leading rider, Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) when they took on the 120 kilometre long stage in the streets of Barcelona, Contador did what he could to wrestle the overall from Rodriguez.

Behind the riders racing for the stage win, Alberto Contador kept launching attacks on the wet and treacherous surface to gain the 4 seconds, he needed but Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) shut down every attempt. “I guess missing the win with 4 seconds leads me to look for places and situations in the race which I could have taken advantage of but the truth is that I’m happy.”

“Especially on how I recovered day by day. Although I have already done some pretty hard races, I feel good, both physically and mentally and rested for the next target – Basque Country. Anyway, Joaquim has been very attentive at all times and I can only congratulate him on a job well done”.

Volta Ciclista a Catalunya
1 WESTRA Lieuwe Astana Pro Team 02:36:14
2 BURGHARDT Marcus BMC Racing Team 01:22
3 VOECKLER Thomas Team Europcar ,,
4 PATERSKI Maciej CCC Polsat Polkowice 01:26
5 BAGOT Yoann Cofidis, Solutions Crédits 01:36
6 POLANC Jan Lampre – Merida 02:07
7 CONTADOR Alberto Tinkoff-Saxo ,,
8 BARDET Romain AG2R La Mondiale ,,
9 JEANNESSON Arnold FDJ.fr ,,
10 RODRIGUEZ Joaquim Team Katusha ,,

13 FROOME Christopher Team Sky ,,
14 VAN GARDEREN Tejay BMC Racing Team ,,
16 QUINTANA Nairo Movistar Team ,,
23 MARTIN Daniel Garmin Sharp ,,
26 HESJEDAL Ryder Garmin Sharp ,,
31 SáNCHEZ Samuel BMC Racing Team ,,
41 SANCHEZ Luis Leon Caja Rural – Seguros RGA 02:20
48 YATES Adam Orica GreenEDGE @ 2.49
69 URAN Rigoberto Omega Pharma – Quick-Step 04:17
83 VOIGT Jens Trek Factory Racing @7.38

FINAL GC
1 RODRIGUEZ Joaquim Team Katusha 29:41:34
2 CONTADOR Alberto Tinkoff-Saxo 00:04
3 VAN GARDEREN Tejay BMC Racing Team 00:07
4 BARDET Romain AG2R La Mondiale 00:10
5 QUINTANA Nairo Movistar Team ,,
6 FROOME Christopher Team Sky 00:17
7 TALANSKY Andrew Garmin Sharp 00:18
8 POZZOVIVO Domenico AG2R La Mondiale 00:26
9 BARGUIL Warren Team Giant-Shimano 00:42
10 KISERLOVSKI Robert Trek Factory Racing 00:48

15 HESJEDAL Ryder Garmin Sharp 01:26
16 MARTIN Daniel Garmin Sharp 01:49
22 YATES Adam Orica GreenEDGE 03:42
27 SANCHEZ Luis Leon Caja Rural – Seguros RGA 04:49
29 URAN Rigoberto Omega Pharma – Quick-Step 06:26
45 SáNCHEZ Samuel BMC Racing Team 16:53
47 REBELLIN Davide CCC Polsat Polkowice 18:37
63 VOIGT Jens Trek Factory Racing 28:08
88 VOECKLER Thomas Team Europcar 41:34

 

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