As has become tradition, the Volta a Catalunya concluded this Sunday with a dynamic stage around the regional capital. Around Barcelona and the Montjuïc climb, the peloton battled over 95 kilometres, and it was a sprint of around thirty riders that decided the day. Still represented by four riders, Groupama-FDJ United notably placed Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet (12th), David Gaudu (13th), and Brieuc Rolland (16th) in the top 20.
Fewer than one hundred kilometers were on the menu this Sunday to wrap up the 2026 Volta a Catalunya, with the traditional Montjuïc circuit and its explosive climb (800 m at 10.5%) awaiting the riders. This year, no fewer than seven laps had to be completed, reducing the initial part to only about thirty kilometers. This allowed a small breakaway to form, but the peloton kept it within two minutes. The fugitives still managed to lead through the first three laps before being inevitably reeled in. Within the bunch, several accelerations appeared early among the favorites, though none created a decisive gap. However, only about fifty riders remained entering the final two laps, and Groupama-FDJ United had five riders present: David Gaudu, Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet, Brieuc Rolland, Josh Kench, and Maxime Decomble. One lap later, the situation remained largely the same; the Norman climber briefly tried his luck before the steepest part of the ascent, but the peloton immediately reacted. In the end, the final climb was ridden at a strong pace but without a real attack, and a group of thirty-five riders then charged down toward the finish line at high speed.
“The group finished stronger » – Stéphane Goubert
On the final slight downhill, the Groupama-FDJ United riders tried to make their way forward but ultimately fell just short of the top 10. “Guillaume knew this sprint well and took the left side as planned, but the door closed a bit,” commented Stéphane Goubert. “In that kind of sprint, we would have needed someone to launch hard, but given our rider profiles, we weren’t really in a position to do that. It’s a shame—that’s probably what cost us a top-10 finish.” Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet came closest, taking 12th place. David Gaudu, Brieuc Rolland, and Maxime Decomble finished in the same time, while Josh Kench crossed the line thirty seconds later. “The overall outcome of the week isn’t up to our expectations,” Stéphane explained. “We were aiming for the best possible overall classification with Guillaume, even though we knew the competition was extremely strong. Unfortunately, he was lacking race days to be at his best. However, we saw that the group finished stronger, as shown by David yesterday and today with nearly five riders in the group fighting for the win. That said, it’s clear we’re still missing something, and we had more puncheur-type riders on a course that was better suited to climbers. Physically, they’re still in good shape, and that gives us more positive prospects for the upcoming races.”
