Stage 3 of the Volta a Catalunya offers a split personality route, so to speak. There’s a bit of everything but it may ultimately be another sprint finish.
From Mont-roig del Camp, the bunch immediately faces the long drag of Coll de la Mussara, followed by Capafons soon after, ensuring the first hour is anything but calm. A third climb at Coll Roig later in the stage may give attackers another chance to force separation.
A fast finale
Once the roads level out, roughly 35 rolling km to Vila-seca should favour organized chase groups and fast finishers if teams can regain control. That balance makes the stage hard to predict: a reduced sprint is just as likely as a successful break holding on.
It could be the day for the opportunists–or the all-rounders who love a reduced pack sprint. But, pure sprinters such as Ethan Vernon and Alberto Dainese will be hoping their teams can survive the climbs and bring them back for a finale.
Stage 2 of the Volta a Catalunya ended in a small group sprinting out for a second straight day, with Dane Magnus Cort taking the dub. Dorian Godon finished fourth but retained the leader’s jersey on time. Derek Gee-West was the top Canadian, placing 103rd in the bunch finish stage result. The national champ had a rough first day, getting caught behind the main split, but there’s plenty of racing left.
One rider that won’t be there is Victoria’s Riley Pickrell (Modern Adventure Pro Cycling). The sprinter abandoned after the second stage. Pickrell, 24 has had stomach problems the past few days and was forced to call it a day on Tuesday.
Stage 2’s coverage is on FloBikes.com. You can tune in at 10:10 a.m. EDT. After the stage, Canadian Cycling Magazine will have a full report on the day’s racing.
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