The Volta a Catalunya is underway, and as in recent years, the explosive uphill finish in Sant Feliu de Guíxols decided the first leader’s jersey. In a reduced peloton of around seventy riders after a demanding final along the coast, Dorian Godon took victory, while Rudy Molard produced a strong late surge in the final 500 metres to secure a decent fifteenth place.
For the fifth consecutive year, the Volta a Catalunya kicked off this Monday with a stage around Sant Feliu de Guíxols, where a tough finish—with the final 600 meters at 4%—served as the day’s decisive point. A reduced bunch sprint was expected after 172 kilometres, and the peloton made sure that scenario played out. A breakaway did animate this opening stage, but without ever threatening the anticipated outcome. With about twenty kilometres to go, as the race entered the twisting, punchy coastal roads, the fugitives had only a thirty-second lead left, and the peloton never eased off from that point. On the contrary, it stretched out significantly and even split under repeated accelerations, while the last remaining rider from the break was caught with eleven kilometers to go. As the race descended toward Sant Feliu de Guíxols, the bunch had been reduced to roughly seventy riders.
“Rudy was very frustrated”– Benoît Vaugrenard
On the final uphill straight, climbers and punchers mixed with the few remaining sprinters, and Dorian Godon came out on top, while Rudy Molard finished fifteenth. “We were counting on Rudy, who likes this kind of finish,” explained Benoît Vaugrenard. “Unfortunately, he got boxed in before the final straight and found himself badly positioned—he was almost fiftieth with 500 metres to go. He made a very strong comeback, but it’s a shame because I think he could maybe have gone for a top five. That’s the small disappointment of the day, and he was very frustrated. Another goal was for Guillaume to finish in the same time as the winner, and that was achieved.” Like their two more experienced teammates, Brieuc Rolland and Maxime Decomble also finished in the lead group on Monday. “Tomorrow, we expect a sprint finish, so we’ll stay cautious, but Wednesday’s stage could be interesting for us,” concluded Benoît.
