Hello and welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverage of Volta Ciclista a Catalunya 2024!
It's a beautiful day and the start village of Sant Feliu de Guíxols is truly buzzing.
😋Això ja fa olor de #VoltaCatalunya103... un plaer, @Guixols! 👋🌊Sant Feliu de Guíxols ya se prepara para el inicio de la Volta a Catalunya 2024.Getting ready for the first stage of #VoltaCatalunya! 🚴♂️💥 pic.twitter.com/g42notcPj0March 18, 2024
Volta a Catalunya comes hot on the heels of a big weekend in racing, as GC favourite Tadej Pogacar tested his form at Milan-San Remo, but wasn't able to distance the sprinters on the Poggio.
Back to Catalunya, and the major teams have signed on ahead of race start. Besides Pogacar, two of the most closely watched riders will be Geraint Thomas and Egan Bernal with Ineos Grenadiers.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
The race is underway, but still neutralised. Riders will soon be hitting the neutral start at the base of first (uncategorised) climb 3.1km from the official start.
Cyclingnews' Barry Ryan outlined some of the key storylines to follow at this year's race, where there promises to be more to watch than purely Pogacar's dominance.
170km to go
The peloton has passed km0 and the race is offically underway!
As the riders ride past through the 170km mark, there is a brief attack of three riders but it's closed down rapidly.
Unsurprisingly, Pogacar occupied the most media attention at the race start.
The brief attack is caught and the peloton is together after 10km as it rolls up the foothills of the day's first climb.
Intermarché-Wanty are currently doing the work on the front of the peloton.
They have a squad of Arne Marit, Francesco Busatto, Louis Meintjes, Lilian Calmejane, Simone Petilli, Rein Taaramae and Kevin Colleoni.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
160km to go
Alex Baudin (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) and another rider crest the summit of the first climb with a small gap.
Simone Petilli (Intermarché-Wanty), Kenny Elissonde (Cofidis), Mikel Bizkarra (Euskaltel–Euskad) join Alex Baudin and Adne Holter (Uno-X) on the descent, forming a break of five with 20 seconds which may establish itself as the break of the day.
The breakaway of five riders have a gap of 2'19" over the peloton with the first categorised climb, the Alt de la Ganga, coming up in less than 7km time.
Back in the bunch, there is a mechanical for Mikel Landa (Soudal-QuickStep). This is a big week for him as he leads his new team alongside Ilan Van Wilder.
UAE Team Emirates are leading the peloton for their superstar leader Tadej Pogačar. The gap up to the breakaway is now 2'23" as they have gone over the first KoM. Just awaiting the results.
There was also 3, 2 and 1 bonus seconds handed out in that sprint.
120km to go
The break have a gap of 2'07" on the peloton as they are on the slopes of the second catgorised climb of the day, the Alt dels Àngels. Average gradient of 5.1% with a max kick of 10% over the 5.5km.
UAE Team Emirates are seemingly wanting to keep a very tight hold on the break today.
The descent of the Alt dels Àngels is extremely technical. The riders will need to be very careful.
It will be easier for the five riders in the break to pick their lines compared to 170 riders in the peloton.
The time gap is suddenly plummeting as both the break and the peloton are descending.
It is now down to 1'32" between the two groups with 115km to go.
Updated gap is now 1'18". The pace is really on in the peloton.
That means that Elissonde leads the KoM standings with 8 points ahead of Bizkarra who has 5 points.
110km to go
The gap is now 1'19" between the break and the peloton. The breakaway have 12km to the next intermediate sprint at Cassà de la Selva.
With the 3, 2 and 1 bonus seconds available, perhaps the peloton would like to battle for them.
There is a small slit in the peloton after the technical descent of the Alt dels Àngels with just a small amount of seconds between them, it should come back together.
100km to go
Into the final 100km of the stage and the gap is now only 1'00". The pace in the peloton is really up with just 3km to the intermediate sprint at Cassà de la Selva.
The pace has suddenly completely gone from the bunch now with the time gap shooting back up to 1'56" in a very short period of time.
The split in the peloton is also back together. The break will battle it out for the points and bonus seconds at the intermediate sprint in Cassà de la Selva.
Intermediate sprint result:
1. Mikel Bizkarra (EUS) 3pts
2. Simone Petilli (IWA) 2pts
3. Alex Baudin (DAT) 1pt
The gap is back to over two minutes at 2'17" with 93km remaining.
It is a lovely sunny day in Catalunya today with the temperature around 21 degrees C.
There's now a period of racing where there isn't any intermediate sprints or KoM sprints for 60km.
However, the terrain is constantly up and down and the riders will have an opportunity to see the finish and the closing kilometres before launching into one lap of the final circuit.
Just a reminder of who is in the break today:
Kenny Elissonde (FRA) Cofidis
Mikel Bizkarra (ESP) Euskaltel-Euskadi
Simone Petilli (ITA) Intermarché-Wanty
Alex Baudin (FRA) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale
Ådne Holter (NOR) Uno-X Mobility
So far, Elissonde leads the KoM standings with 8 points and Bizkarra leads the points standings with 6 points after two sprints in both competitions.
85km to go, 2'07" gap.
80km to go
Once again the gap is decreasing. Both the break and the peloton are on a fast downhill and the gap has dropped to 1'36" as we are over the halfway mark on the stage.
Last year's opening stage was the same as today and it saw Primož Roglič win ahead of Remco Evenepoel and Ide Schelling.
Schelling is the only one of the three who is racing this year. He is in new colours, though, as he moved from Bora-Hansgrohe to Astana Qazaqstan, so worth looking out for him.
Roglič, of course, took overall success last year. Will today's winner do the same?
While the race is rather settled, why not have a read of the thoughts of Thomas De Gendt in his final Volta a Catalunya. Just click the link below.
Felix Großschartner is sat on the front of the peloton ahead of all his UAE Team Emirates teammates.
The gap up to the break is now down to 1'07" and falling once again heading towards the final third of the stage.
This extremely technical road has, once again, seen the peloton really up the pace with UAE Team Emirates closing rapidly on the break. The gap is not just 46" with 67km to go.
Sprinter for DSM-Firmenich-PostNL, Pavel Bittner, has been distanced by the peloton.
60km to go
Just 52" between the break and the pack. A few riders are struggling with Mongolian national champion, Jambaljamts Sainbayar of Burgos-BH, is struggling right at the back behind Louis Meintjes,
While Jambaljamts Sainbayar has been dropped, it is so fantastic seeing riders from lesser cycling nations such as Mongolia racing in WorldTour races such as this one.
Front puncture for Oscar Rodriguez of Ineos Grenadiers.
Multiple riders now being distanced with another sprinter, Arne Marit (Intermarché-Wanty), losing touch. Rodriguez is making his way back in for Ineos after his puncture.
50km to go
The break are holding the peloton off well and have got the gap back to 1'09" as the race crosses the finish line before heading towards the more climbing as well as another intermediate sprint.
This has been what the peloton has looked like for almost the entire day...
🚴♂️ L'equip @TeamEmiratesUAE lidera el pilot al primer pas per la meta de @Guixols (a 51,9 km de l'arribada 🏁)💥We have UAE Team Emirates at the front of the peloton! Still chasing the breakaway around 50 km to go. #VoltaCatalunya103 pic.twitter.com/G9crxqkyqdMarch 18, 2024
Bora-Hansgrohe, Ineos Grenadiers, Visma-Lease-a-Bike and Uno-X Mobility are battling UAE Team Emirates on the front of the peloton as the gap drops to 25"
Crash!
Maxim Van Gils (LTD)
Thomas De Gendt (LTD)
Andrey Amador (EFE)
A few others also caught out. Van Gils screaming at his teammates.
Meanwhile, Mikel Bizkarra has been dropped from the break and caught by the bunch.
40km to go
Lots of riders are out of the back after that crash with some trying to get back in and some sitting up to just roll in. Carnage in the convoy because of it. One rider aiming to get back in is Ivan Sosa, he looked very good at the O Gran Camino.
Just 20" up to the break now.
About 14" between the break and the peloton with several teams across the road in colour order trying to keep their leaders safe.
They are coming towards the Alt de Sant Grau but this is likely bringing the break back before the intermediate sprint in Llagostera where 3, 2 and 1 seconds are available.
3km to the intermediate sprint, 33km to go to the finish and Elissonde is caught.
The remaining three riders of Petilli, Holter and Baudin are trying to stay away but are also about to get caught.
All back together with 32km to go! Alpecin-Deceuninck, Israel-Premier Tech, UAE Team Emirates, Visma-Lease-a-Bike and Ineos Grenadiers leading the way.
30km to go
Result of the intermediate sprint:
1. Egan Bernal (IGD) 3pts 3"
2. Tadej Pogačar (UAD) 2pts 2"
3. Laurens De Plus (IGD) 1pt 1"
Pogačar didn't need to get round Bernal as he could take the 2 bonus seconds and save his legs instead.
UAE Team Emirates his the front yet again as the race starts the Alt de Sant Grau with 27km to go.
8.1km long climb with an average gradient of 4% with a maximum kick of around 7%.
Lidl-Trek, EF Education-EasyPost, Visma-Lease-a-Bike and Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale alongside UAE Team Emirates on the front.
Looks like it may just be a ride over the climb. Astana also moving up too. Doesn't seem hard enough to really destroy the race.
20km to go
Dropped!
Bryan Coquard of Cofidis has just lost contact with the peloton alongside Jesús David Peña of Jayco-AlUla and Tobias Bayer of Alpecin-Deceuninck.
He isn't too far off the back. But, Soudal-QuickStep and Movistar have really upped the pace.
KoM results on the Alt de Sant Grau:
1. Marc Soler (UAD) 5pts
2. Tadej Pogačar (UAD) 3pts
3. Sepp Kuss (TVL) 2pts
4. Harold Tejada (AST) 1pt
Soler leading Pogačar down this very technical descent to make sure his leader is well placed.
Mikel Bizkarra of Euskaltel-Euskadi has been named the most combative rider after his day in the breakaway. Him being the only Spaniard in the break may have helped that seen as he was the first one caught today.
João Almeida now joins Soler and Pogačar on the front of the peloton as the Portuguese rider is working for the Slovenian. 15km to go.
Attack!
Mauri Vansevenant (SOQ)
But UAE Team Emirates aren't letting him go with Almeida leading the charge on this extremely technical coast road that they are taking on for the second time.
10km to go
Almeida still leads for Pogačar with the peloton in one extremely long line.
Attack!
An Intermarché-Wanty rider, Lilian Calmejan, tried a move, but once again UAE Team Emirates drags it back.
7km to go.
5km to go
Tadej Pogačar is perfectly placed coming into town as he sits in fifth position. He is the favourite for today as well as the entire race, but he will be challenged in today's finish.
4km to go now in the opening stage of the Volta a Catalunya on what has been a stage that has slowly built with excitement.
3km to go and Ineos Grenadiers alongside Israel-Premier Tech move up as well as Visma-Lease-a-Bike.
Israel-Premier Tech look to be working for the Tour Down Under champion, Stevie Williams.
2km to go. Israel-Premier Tech are absolutely flying down this descent with Schultz and Williams, but Visma-Lease-a-Bike are keeping them close.
Flamme Rouge
Final kilometre for the stage and Israel-Premier Tech still lead for Stevie Williams, he has a very good sprint on him. Pogačar also well positioned.
A late attack by an Israel-Premier Tech got away!
Crash! Involving Egan Bernal.
Nick Schultz (Israel-Premier Tech) wins stage one of the Volta a Catalunya 2024!
Tadej Pogačar was absolutely flying but didn't quite get there in the end.
Stage one result:
1. Nick Schultz (AUS) Israel-Premier Tech, 4:11'38"
2. Tadej Pogačar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates
3. Stevie Williams (UK) Israel-Premier Tech, all S.T.
4. Dorian Godon (FRA) Decathlon-AG2R, +2"
5. Axel Laurance (FRA) Alpecin-Deceuninck
6. Remy Rochas (FRA) Groupama-FDJ
7. Ilan Van Wilder (BEL) Soudal-QuickStep
8. Aleksandr Vlasov () Bora-Hangrohe
9. Sepp Kuss (USA) Visma-Lease-a-Bike
10. Harold Tejada (COL) Astana Qazaqstan, all S.T.
Here is the race report after what was a fantastic opening stage with a surprise winner. Tap the link below!
