As it happened: Explosive final stage ends with race lead changing hands at Volta a Catalunya

Hello and welcome to CyclingNews' Volta a Catalunya 2025 stage seven live report.

It all comes down to today with just 88.2km of racing left to take place this morning. Just one second splitting the top two of Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) with the top seven split by less than a minute. 

One rider is not starting today.

Ide Schelling (XDS-Astana)

Yesterday was a really strange stage with just over 25km of racing after a couple of hours of neutralised riding...

>>> 'Like the last day of a Grand Tour' - radically changed Volta a Catalunya mountain stage leaves peloton perplexed and disappointed 

Yesterday's stage winner, Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek), says that the peloton should unite as a whole more often...

>>> 'Riders need to learn to stand together' - Quinn Simmons claims first WorldTour win at Volta a Catalunya after team voted not to race in high winds 

Sign on is currently taking place in Barcelona...

With the race so finely balanced, the two intermediate sprints today could be pivotal to the final General Classification with both of them offering 3, 2 and 1 bonus second(s). 

The first comes after just 12km of racing in Viladecans. Will Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe go all out for that early doors?

Then, the second comes as they cross the finish line for the first time in Barcelona. 

There also, of course, 10, 6 and 4 bonus seconds on the line at the finish for the first three riders. Both Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) have looked on top form and inseparable on the road, so it probably will come down to bonuses. 

Race leader, Ayuso, had some important business to attend to before sign on today...

Fortunately, after the vicious wind yesterday, the weather is still and sunny with a cool 10 degree Celsius at the start. 

Neutral start

The riders have started the neutral zone. Today, it is just 800 metres long. 

The official start has been delayed slightly. 

88.2km to go

Racing has begun in Barcelona!

The pace is extremely high early on with just over 10km to go to the first intermediate sprint of the day. Could this be Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe pacing for Primož Roglič?

It is Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe working on the front! Primož Roglič is after those three bonus seconds to snatch the race lead virtually from Juan Ayuso. 

Bike change

Alessandro De Marchi (Jayco-AlUla)

Just 5km to the intermediate sprint. All together thanks to Red Bull-Bora-Hangrohe. 

Just 3km to go for the intermediate sprint. 

With a kilometre to go to the intermediate sprint the peloton is in one long line thanks to Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe. 

Intermediate sprint (Viladecans)

1. Primož Roglič (SLO) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe 3pts 3"
2. Nico Denz (GER) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe 2pts 2"
3. Juan Ayuso (ESP) UAE Team Emirates-XRG 1pt 1"

Primož Roglič is now the virtual race leader by one seconds. The tables have turned. 

70km to go

Now, UAE Team Emirates-XRG come to the front of the peloton to pace the next 20km to the final intermediate sprint but can they hold back the riders wanting to form a break?

Attack!

Multiple riders trying to force a breakaway but UAE Team Emirates-XRG are having none of it. They want that second intermediate sprint with Julius Johansen leading the peloton. 

After half an hour of racing the average speed is 48kph! This is a rapid start. 

60km to go

UAE Team Emirates-XRG have to pace the peloton to the intermediate sprint after they lost the last one. However, Primož Roglič has shown that he is faster than Juan Ayuso if he doesn't make a mistake, so it could be all wasted energy. 

Puncture

Nico Denz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe)

Inside 10km to go to the second intermediate sprint. 

50km to go

Just 3km to go until the second intermediate sprint as the race rides into Barcelona. 

Multiple teams have come to the front of the peloton and it is making it very difficult for UAE Team Emirates-XRG to control the race. 

Israel-Premier Tech and Jayco-AlUla are battling UAE Team Emirates-XRG for the lead with 1km to the intermediate sprint. 

The leadout for Juan Ayuso and Primož Roglič begin. 

Intermediate sprint (Barcelona)

1. Juan Ayuso (ESP) UAE Team Emirates-XRG 3pts 3"
2. Nico Denz (GER) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe 2pts 2"
3. Primož Roglič (SLO) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe 1pt 1"

Juan Ayuso retakes the race lead by a second! The tables turn yet again!

Now multiple riders are on the attack to form the breakaway. 

Attack!

Wilco Kelderman (Visma-Lease a Bike)

He is joined by six other riders. 

The riders are on the circuit that takes on the climb of the Montjuïc. Edward Planckaert 9Alpecin-Deceuninck) leading the moves. 

It is raining attacks at the moment with Eric Antonio Fagúndez (Burgos-Burpellet-BH) and Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) getting a small gap. 

It is 10th overall, Richard Carapaz, who has gone on the attack. He started the day at 1'27" down. 

Attack!

The leader of the mountain classification, Bruno Armirail (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale), is bridging to Carapaz. 

40km to go

The peloton are riding fast with Carapaz and Armirail just stuck off the front with the Frenchman making it across just as they complete the first lap of six. 

It's all back together again and the pace is extremely high. Ineos Grenadiers, Movistar and Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe on the front leading the bunch on the climb. 

30km to go

Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe leading the peloton as they cross the finish line for the second time with four laps to go. 

KoM (Montjuic 1)

1. Mats Wenzel (LUX) Kern Pharma 5pts
2. Edward Planckaert (BEL) Alpecin-Deceuninck 3pts
3. Mario Aparicio (ESP) Burgos-Burpellet-BH 2pts
4. Georg Steinhauser (GER) EF Edcuation-EasyPost 1pt

Attack!

Jokin Murguialday (Euskaltel-Euskadi)

KoM (Montjuic 2)

1. Giulio Pellizzari (ITA) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe 5pts
2. Primož Roglič (SLO) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe 3pts
3. Juan Ayuso (ESP) UAE Team Emirate-XRG 2pts
4. Egan Bernal (COL) Ineos Grenadiers 1pt

KoM (Montjuic 3)

1. Jokin Murguialday (ESP) Euskaltel-Euskadi 5pts
2. Alexander Hajek (AUT) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe 3pts
3. Egan Bernal (COL) Ineos Grendiers 2pts
4. Laurens De Plus (BEL) Ineos Grenadiers 1pt

Jokin Murguialday was caught over the top of the last climb. 

Thanks to his five points on the first ascent of the climb, Mats Wenzel (Kern Pharma) now leads the mountains classification by three points. 

Attack!

Tom Donnenwirth (Groupama-FDJ)

Three laps to go and the 27-year-old Frenchman who has a gap of about five seconds on the peloton. 

Donnenwirth has been joined by a rider from Cofidis who is Emanuel Buchmann. But, they have a very small gap on the peloton. 

Attack!

Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe)
Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers)
Laurens De Plus (Ineos Grenadiers)
Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates-XRG)

Here we go!

KoM (Montjuic 4)

1. Primož Roglič (SLO) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe 5pts
2. Egan Bernal (COL) Ineos Grenadiers 3pts
3. Juan Ayusp (ESP) UAE Team Emirates-XRG 2pts
4. Laurens De Plus (BEL) Ineos Grenadiers 1pt

Primož Roglič goes solo!! Ayuso can't follow over the top if the climb. 

20km to go

Juan Ayuso needs support from his temmates with Marc Soler sparing through to support his leader. 

Simon Yates (Visma-Lease a Bike) leads the chasing group and Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) has now teammates and looks to be struggling. Primož Roglič has a 5" gap. 

Juan Ayuso looks to be dying a death on the bike as Primož Roglič is taking off up the road! He leads by 15" and his gap is growing still. 

Attack!

Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek)
Simon Yates (Visma-Lease a Bike)

They're trying to bridge to the leader, Primož Roglič. 

Two laps to go for Primož Roglič who has almost half a minute on the Juan Ayuso group. 

Marc Soler has returned for Juan Ayuso and they are chasing but how long will he last. 

Lotto come to the front of the peloton for Lennert Van Eetvelt. They catch Quinn Simmons and Simon Yates. 

Primož Roglič still has 21" on the peloton which is led by Marc Soler and Lotto. 

Onto the Montjuic climb once again as Soler has closed the gap to Roglič significantly to 16" but how long can he sustain it?

Attack!

Enric Mas (Movistar) 

Behind him, Axel Laurance (Ineos Grenaders), Lennert Van Eetvelt (Lotto) and Mikel Landa (Soudal-QuickStep join him. 

KoM (Montjuic 5)

1. Primož Roglič (SLO) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe 5pts
2. Axel Laurance (FRA) Ineos Grenadiers 3pts
3. Enric Mas (ESP) Movistar 2pts
4. Lennert Van Eetvelt (BEL) Lotto 1pt

Ayuso looked to be really struggling on the climb yet again. 

10km to go

Primož Roglič leads by 14" over the chase group then 25" to the Ayuso group. 

The group of Van Eetvelt, Mas, Landa and Laurance has been caught by the peloton. 

Primož Roglič will win the KoM jersey by one point if he wins the final KoM sprint on the Montjuic, which looks likely. 

Final lap!

Primož Roglič leads by 25" over the Adam Yates led peloton for UAE Team Emirates-XRG's leader, Juan Ayuso. 

Attack in peloton

Mario Aparicio (Burgos-Burpellet-BH)

But, Adam Yates is hammering the pace in the peloton. But, there is no sign of Juan Ayuso at the front of the peloton. 

Primož Roglič was seeing his gap close thanks to Adam Yates. But the British rider has done all he can and the gap goes back out again. 

5km to go

Laurens De Plus (Ineos Grenadiers) attacks! 

Van Eetvelt and Enric Mas are pushing on behind as Van Eetvelt joins De Plus as they try and bridge to Primož Roglič. 

KoM (Montjuic 6)

1. Primož Roglič (SLO) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe 5pst
2. Lennert Van Eetvelt (BEL) Lotto 3pts
3. Laurens De Plus (BEL) Ineos Grenadiers 2pts
4. Enric Mas (ESP) Movistar 1pt

I belive Primož Roglič wins the KoM jersey by one point. 

Into the final 3km and Primož Roglič has a 8 second gap on Van Eetvelt and De Plus as Juan Ayuso is leading the chase behind.

Primož Roglič takes the KoM jersey on count back, level on points with Mats Wenzel (Kern Pharma). 

Flamme Rouge!

Primož Roglič is flying to the finish to take the stage, the GC, the points jersey and the mountains jersey. A masterpiece by both him and his Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe team. 

500 metres to go with 13" back to Lennert Van Eetvelt and Laurens De Plus. 

Primož Roglič wins stage seven and the General Classification of the Volta a Catalunya 2025. 

Laurens De Plus takes second ahead of Lennert Van Eetvelt thn Dorian Godon (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale) leads in the main GC group. 

Top 10

1. Primož Roglič (SLO) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe 1:58'27"
2. Laurens De Plus (BEL) Ineos Grenadiers +14"
3. Lennert Van Eetvelt (BEL) Lotto S.T.
4. Dorian Godon (FRA) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale +19"
5. Sylvain Moniquet (BEL) Cofidis
6. Lorenzo Fortunato (ITA) XDS-Astana
7. Corbin Strong (NZL) Israel-Premier Tech
8. Simon Yates (GBR) Visma-Lease a Bike
9. Rudy Molard (FRA) Groupama-FDJ
10. Axel Laurance (FRA) Ineos Grenadiers all S.T.

Final General Classification

1. Primož Roglič (SLO) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe 24:46'21"
2. Juan Ayuso (ESP) UAE Team Emirates-XRG +28"
3. Enric Mas (ESP) Movistar +53"
4. Mikel Landa (ESP) Soudal-QuickStep +54"
5. Lenny Martinez (FRA) Bahrain Victorious +1'00"
6. Laurens De Plus (BEL) Ineos Grenadiers +1'20"
7. Egan Bernal (COL) Ineos Grenadiers +1'31"
8. Lennert Van Eetvelt (BEL) Lotto +1'33"
9. Simon Yates (GBR) Visma-Lease a BIke +1'46"
10. Richard Carapaz (ECU) EF Education-EasyPost +1'59"

Jersey winners

General Classification - Primož Roglič (SLO) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe
Points Classification - Primož Roglič (SLO) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe
Mountains Classification - Primož Roglič (SLO) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe
Youth Classification - Juan Ayuso (ESP) UAE Team Emirates-XRG