Alejandro Valverde (Movistar Team) took his sixth victory of 2018 with a win on the 175.6-kilometre second stage of the Volta a Catalunya from Mataró to Valls. In addition, the Spaniard also took the overall lead in the race.
The Movistar Team helped to control the race, even helping out Valverde and Nairo Quintana to take 2″ and 1″ bonuses at the day’s final intermediate sprint.
At the decisive climb of Lilla (Cat-2), just 10 kilometres from the finish, the work by Movistar and Mitchelton-Scott put pressure on race leader Álvaro Hodeg (Quick-Step Floors) and the Colombian was dropped. It came down to a reduced bunch sprint, where José Joaquín Rojas helped Valverde get into an optimum position.
Valverde finished off the work of his team perfectly by outsprinting Daryl Impey (Mitchelton-Scott) and Jay McCarthy (BORA – hansgrohe) for the win.
The Volta will kick off its trio of mountain stages on Wednesday over a significantly shortened route (153km) from Sant Cugat to Camprodon but won’t include the mountain-top finish of Vallter 2000, as initially proposed, instead going through a snow (and avalanche)-free route over Bracons (Cat-1) and Collabós (Cat-2).
Alejandro Valverde: “We spent the whole day at the front of the bunch because of the strong winds, which could have caused some splits as we saw in previous years. After the break was caught, a window opened for us to go chase the bonus seconds, so we went for them.
“However, it wasn’t on the team’s plans to aim for the stage win, not at all. It was just that Scott got through the final climb at a really strong pace, and with the bunch strung out and many sprinters dropping, it was easier for us to seek for a good position into the main field – that was where we chose to go for the win.
“The finish was slightly uphill – I knew it well, and I kept in mind that it was good for me – and the work by José Joaquín from the summit of the climb was phenomenal, he kept me at the front at all times. I’ve won here in Valls with a solo attack, into a sprint.
“It’s always beautiful to take a victory in this town and make a tribute to our friend Xavi Tondo, one we always remember wherever we go. It’s also a victory for my son Iván, who broke his collarbone last weekend while playing football. I was so sad not to be able to support him at home – hope this victory brings some joy and strength to him.
“Tomorrow’s stage will be really hard, especially for my team-mates. I already had pressure on my shoulders before this victory, so it doesn’t change really much – it just gives you more confidence to see things going so well. It’s time to ride calm and safely, and do our best!”
