Volta a Catalunya stage 6 – Live coverage

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the penultimate stage of the 2021 Volta a Catalunya.

Today's stage heads into the hills once again, though the profile looks good for the few sprinters at the race, while a break could also take the win. It's a 194km day out heading north from Tarragona to Mataró.

A scene from the start today, courtesy of Deceuninck-QuickStep.

Bora-Hansgrohe rider Lennard Kämna took victory on yesterday's stage 5 from the break, while Adam Yates (Ineos Grenadiers) retains the overall lead.

Read our stage 5 report here.

194km to go

Today's stage is just getting underway, meanwhile.

A GC update ahead of today's action...

1 Adam Yates (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers 18:45:27

2 Richie Porte (Aus) Ineos Grenadiers 0:00:45

3 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers 0:00:49

4 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team 0:01:03

5 Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Bora-Hansgrohe

6 Esteban Chaves Rubio (Col) Team BikeExchange 0:01:04

7 João Almeida (Por) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:01:07

8 Hugh Carthy (GBr) EF Education-Nippo 0:01:20

9 Sepp Kuss (USA) Jumbo-Visma 0:01:29

10 Simon Yates (GBr) Team BikeExchange 0:01:32

Here's what Kämna had to say ahead of today's stage...

"I’m very happy with this victory. Yesterday, I tried this already, but I went a little bit early. I didn't have the best legs in the first part of the stage today and I just made it to the group.

"However, on the last climb I was feeling strong again, so I gave it another shot and I’m happy that in the end, it worked out. It’s a fabulous feeling – it’s my first race of the season and it’s great to be here in good shape and to take a victory."

Meanwhile, riders are trying to attack straight from the gun today in order to make the breakaway.

186km to go

Luis Maté (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Michael Storer (DSM), Thomas De Gendt (Lotto Soudal) and Fernando Barceló (Cofidis) have formed a strong move. The peloton is close behind.

183km to go

More riders attack after that group was brought back by the peloton.

Harold Tejada (Astana), Dmitrii Strakhov (Gazprom-RusVelo), Matej Mohoric (Bahrain Victorious), Mattias Skjelmose (Trek-Segafredo), Antoine Duchesne (Groupama-FDJ) are all out front now.

Rally's Gavin Mannion was on the move and is joined by Michael Valgren (EF-Nippo) in the chase.

178km to go

The leaders have two minutes already – this is the move of the day.

Meanwhile, Mannion and Valgren are giving up the ghost and sitting up, waiting for the peloton.

A five-man breakaway today, then. Will Tejada, Strakhov, Mohoric, Skjelmose and Duchesne make it to the finish in around 175 kilometres?

Bora-Hansgrohe and Team DSM are doing the work at the front of the peloton at the moment. Between them they have Jordi Meeus, Peter Sagan and Max Kanter as possibilities to contend at the finish.

168km to go

The gap to the break is 2:30 at the moment.

Harold Tejada is the best-placed rider on GC in the break. He's 2:58 down, so not quite in the virtual lead yet.

153km to go

Tejada is now in the virtual lead as the gap goes up to 3:15

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The break has passed the first intermediate sprint of the day at Sany Jaume del Domenys. Strakhov led the way ahead of Tejada and Skjelmose.

The first hour has passed with an average speed of 47.2kph.

UAE Team Emirates are also present at the front of the peloton along with Bora and DSM.

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135km to go

The break's advantage hangs at around the three-minute mark.

A look at the break of the day, with Tejada and Jensen at the front.

The riders are just taking on rolling roads at the moment. No notable features on route until the special 'Edicio 100' sprint, at 100km to go, so another 25km until they reach that.

The third-cat climb of the Port d'Ullastrell follows at 84km to go.

A 45.8kph average speed so far today.

It's fairly quiet at the moment as the riders roll along towards that intermediate sprint.

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105km to go

The feed zone is coming up soon, as is that intermediate sprint.

Not the most thrilling day of racing so far. Here's a game to pass the time from Ineos Grenadiers...

100km to go

The breakaway pass through the centenary sprint.

Strakhov led Skjelmose and Tejada across the sprint three minutes up on the peloton.

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85km to go

Mohoric leads the break up the first climb of the day, the Port d'Ullastrell. Three KOM points for him, two for Tejada and one for Duchesne. The break passes the summit four minutes later.

UAE Team Emirates, Euskaltel-Euskadi, Bora-Hansgrohe and Team DSM are all leading the way in the peloton at the moment.

Unconfirmed at the moment but it sounds like Trek-Segafredo's Giulio Ciccone has abandoned the race. The Italian was lying 16th overall.

AG2R Citroën are also going to work at the front of the peloton. A real mix of teams up there now.

65km to go

The break are descending from the plateau they were on after the climb. Mohoric leads the way. 3:20 back to the peloton.

The lead five are all still together, of course. No attacks or drops just yet...

The gap is gradually coming down as Bora-Hansgrohe lead the peloton. 2:45 now.

Lots of arms draped over bars and top tube descending, both of which will be banned from April 1.

49km to go

We're inside the final 50 kilometres now and the gap goes under two minutes for the first time in a long time.

Given the success of Danish riders so far this season, the result of the final stage of the Settimana Coppi e Bartali came as no surprise.

Read our short report here, with more to come from the race.

We can add another two wins to this list from yesterday...

As for the Danes in Catalunya, we have Skjelmose in the break, while stage 1 winner Andreas Kron (Trek-Segafredo), his teammate Alexander Kamp, Jonas Gregaard (Astana), and Michael Valgren (EF-Nippo) are in the peloton.

It's unlikely any of them will add to the 2021 win tally today though, given the expected sprint finish coming up.

40km to go

With 40 to go, the riders enter the Circuit de Catalunya, which has hosted the Spanish F1 Grand Prix since 1991 and the Catalan MotoGP Grand Prix since 1996.

The riders will take the lap a little slower though, with the peloton now a minute behind the break.

We've seen races take in motor racing circuits in the past, of course. In 2009, the Vuelta a España started at the bike racing circuit in Assen in the Netherlands. In 2020, the Worlds visited Imola in Italy, as did the the 2018 Giro d'Italia.

The Vuelta a San Juan has also visited a motor racing circuit in the region, and the Spa Francorchamps circuit in Belgium has hosted Superprestige cyclo-cross races as well as the 2017 Tour de France.

A look at the break at the intermediate sprint on the circuit. Duchesne led the way.

33km to go

The advantage for the break has gone up to 1:15 now as the riders exit the circuit.

UAE, Bora, ISN, Euskaltel, DSM and AG2R all present at the head of the peloton.

30km to go

30 to go and the gap is under a minute now. Most of the teams have one or two riders up there at the front of the peloton but Euskaltel-Euskadi have the whole team massed just behind the white jerseys of ISN, Bora, AG2R, UAE.

Just 30 seconds now. Who will be the last man standing from the break with a hopeless attack?

25km to go

A bit of an easing in the peloton and now it's up to 38 seconds. They don't want to make the catch too soon, of course.

Some attacks from the peloton but they're not getting anywhere.

10km to go until the day's final climb, the third-cat Alt el Collet.

23km to go

Strakhov puts in the attack from the break. His breakmates don't react.

The peloton brings back the other four breakaway riders. Just Strakhov left now.

20km to go

Strakhov has just 15 seconds as the peloton hunt him down.

Movistar and EF-Nippo are up front now.

The riders will hit that final climb (2.9km at 3 per cent) very soon.

Ineos and Jumbo have also moved up. The British team are 1-2-3 in the GC with Yates, Porte and Thomas.

Strakhov is brought back by Movistar and the peloton hits the hill.

The Spanish team are pushing the pace up the ascent, but it's not enough to prevent James Knox (Deceuninck-QuickStep) from having a go.

Knox keeps on going and draws a few more riders out.

15km to go

Marc Soler (Movistar) and Wout Poels (Bahrain Victorious) were among those following the move but Bora-Hansgrohe have shut things down.

Others keep on pushing on at the front, determined to ruin the sprinters' day.

Elie Gesbert (Arkéa-Samsic) attacks over the top. UAE chase.

The Frenchman isn't far ahead though and will be caught on the way down. Still, a couple of mountain points for him.

Rémi Cavagna (Deceuninck-QuickStep) flies past on the descent. The Belgian team doesn't have a major sprinter here, which explains all the attacks.

10km to go

Cavagna is still out there as he hits the final 10km. It's a small gap, though.

Bora-Hansgrohe are back on front working for their sprinter/s.

8km to go

It's over for Cavagna now. But straight away there's another attack from Deceuninck-QuickStep as Josef Cerny goes.

But he doesn't last long off the front before Bora-Hangrohe bring him back.

6km to go

Cerny is caught. Bora-Hansgrohe continue to lead the way in the peloton as Ineos also move up.

5km to go

A big mix of teams up there with them, too. UAE, BikeExchaneg, QuickStep, ISN...

It's just a question of keeping the pace high and avoiding any accidents ahead of the finale now.

3km to go

Ineos lead the way across the 3km to go mark.

At the rear of the peloton its all strung out under the high pace being put on up front.

Ineos continue to lead as the peloton heads up a small rise at 2km to go.

1km to go

A small descent and then a roundabout just before the flamme rouge and riders fight for position at the front.

It's quite a mess at the front. No clear lead-out trains here...

QuickStep, Euskaltel attacks off the front.

Cerny is caught 200 metres out.

DSM, Qhubeka, Bora, ISN all have their men up front.

Bora's man is Peter Sagan, who bursts out from behind Max Kanter and powers to the line!

A victory for Sagan in Mataró!

That was a chaotic sprint finish. Here's a look at the dash for the line.

Sagan beat ISN's Daryl Impey and UAE's Sebastian Molano to the line. Kanter finished in seventh.

Two Danes in the top 10, if you're wondering, as Kamp takes fifth and Valgren ninth.

Meanwhile, it's unchanged at the top of the GC standings. Ineos retain their 1-2-3 with Yates in the race lead ahead of tomorrow's final stage in Barcelona.

Here's what Sagan had to say after his win today...

"I feel great. We planned to control from the start and I have to say thanks to all my teammates. It was a very fast and great race today.

"It was pretty hard from the start after Tirreno and San Remo without a longer break. I'm a little bit tired now but still I'm very happy for this victory. It's a good start to the season and also especially for what happened in the last two months [with COVID-19] it wasn't easy. Now it looks nice."

A shot of Sagan sprinting to victory today.

Here's our short report and brief results for stage 6.

We'll have more news and reaction as well as the full stage 6 report coming up later on, so stay tuned for that.

That's all from us today. Be sure to check back for more news, and join me again tomorrow for live coverage of the final stage of the race in Barcelona!