Volta a Catalunya: Hodeg wins opening stage in Calella

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Alvaro Hodeg (Quick-Step Floors) won the opening stage of the Volta a Catalunya in Calella on Monday. After a supreme lead-out from his teammates, the Colombian sprinted to victory by several wheel lengths ahead of Bora-Hansgrohe teammates Sam Bennett and Jay McCarthy.

"Absolutely incredible. It's a dream come true for me," Hodeg said. "The team did an amazing job to get me the opportunity, and I congratulate them. Of course, we'll give it another dig [tomorrow], I feel very strong, and for sure we'll be battling for the stage."

Hodeg leads the overall classification heading into the second stage, 175km from Mataro to Valls. Bennett is in second place at four seconds back, while breakaway rider Andriy Grivko (Astana) secured enough time bonuses in the intermediate sprints to move into third place at five seconds back.

Stage 1's 152.4km course included two intermediate sprints in Saint Feliu de Guixols (47km) and Platja d'Aro (52km). The relatively flat route included a category 3 climb over Port de Collsacreu (134km) followed by a descent to the coastal finish line in Calella.

A breakaway emerged within the first 40km of the stage, with Tom Bohli (BMC), Jesus Ezquerra (Burgos BH), Daniel Turek (Israel Cycling Academy), Andriy Grivko (Astana), Antonio Molina (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) and Markel Irizar (Trek-Segafredo) going clear.

Grivko won the first intermediate sprint ahead of Bohli and Ezquerra in Saint Feliu de Guixols. Five kilometres later, however, it was Bohli who took top sprint points in Platja d'Aro ahead of Grivko and Turek.

Teams Movistar and Cofidis did much of the pace-setting to keep the time to the breakaway at a manageable three minutes. Bora-Hansgrohe moved forward to quicken the chase, bringing the gap down to under two minutes ahead of the day's only ascent.

The catch was made with enough time for Wilmar Paredes (Manzana Postobon) to take points in the mountain competition over the top of Port de Collsacreu. He crossed the line ahead of Movistar teammates Jose Joaquin Rojas and Marc Soler.

Movistar controlled the peloton down the descent and onto the city streets of Calella, making sure their GC-man Alejandro Valverde was in good position and out of trouble ahead of the final sprint.

Sprint trains from Cofidis and Bora-Hansgrohe manoeuvred close behind Movistar, but with three kilometres to go, it was Quick-Step Floors that took the reins and set up Hodeg for a perfectly timed sprint victory.

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