Movistar's Alejandro Valverde has won the Volta a Catalunya.
Valverde went into the final stage with a 56 second lead but there were only 114 riders who took part for the final 135kms or eight laps around the Catalan capital.
Twenty two riders were in an early break and got three minutes clear but as they went over the line at Montjuïc for the first time, Daniel Teklehaimanot (Team Dimension Data), David Gaudu (FDJ), Thomas De Gendt (Lotto Soudal), Jay McCarthy (Bora-Hansgrohe), Victor Campenaerts (LottoNl-Jumbo) and Xandro Meurisse (Wanty - Groupe Gobert) were ahead with a lead of two and a half minutes.
De Gendt and McCarthy tried to stay away but an attack by Geraint Thomas brought them back and then Chris Froome took over on the front, getting thirteen seconds ahead.
Froome was brought back by Dan Martin and the race leader and Alejandro Valverde rode away to take his third win in the 2017 race in a time of 3.08.50 with Jarlinson Pantano (Trek-Segafredo) second and Arthur Vichot of FDJ third and Dan Martin fifth.
"The good weather today and hard work from the team meant we keep the day's break at the margin we wanted," said Valverde. "And then the other teams helped us pull them back in.
"I knew that Martin would attack at that point in the finishing circuit because he always does, I really had to work hard to get across. We only half-collaborated, so we started the sprint a lot slower than the bunch that was coming up behind. I finally won, but it was by the skin of my teeth."
Result | |||
---|---|---|---|
1 | Alejandro Valverde Movistar | 25:27:15 | |
2 | Alberto Contador Trek-Segafredo | 0:01:03 | |
3 | Marc Soler Movistar Team | 0:01:16 | |
4 | Adam Yates (GBR) Orica-Scott | 0:01:31 | |
5 | Tejay Van Garderen BMC | 0:01:34 | |
6 | Daniel Martin (Irl) Quick-Step Floors | 0:02:29 | |
7 | Steven Kruijswijk LottoNl-Jumbo | 0:02:56 | |
8 | Carlos Verona Orica-Scott | 0:03:00 | |
9 | George Bennett LottoNl-Jumbo | 0:03:01 | |
10 | Romain Bardet AG2R La Mondiale | 0.03.05 By Kev Monks for Digital Sports Group |
Source: DSG