Volta Ciclista a Catalunya 2022 – Stage 7 [LAST 10 KM]

March 27, 2022

Volta Ciclista a Catalunya 2022 – Stage 7 – Barcelona – Barcelona : 138,6 km

The Volta Ciclista a Catalunya is the fourth oldest stage-race in the world. Falling in the heart of the Spring Classics period, the seven-day race offers those riders tired of cobblestones some sunnier solace and a chance to hone their form ahead of the first Grand Tour of the year. Created in 1911 by a Catalan journalist in an attempt to sell more copies of the sports newspaper, El Mundo Deportivo, the race received mixed support in its early days. Just 34 riders started the inaugural edition of the race, with only 22 of those going on to reach the finish in Barcelona. The race was then suspended during World War I before being revived in the 1920s by Unión Deportiva de Sants, a big-name sponsor from the footballing world. The Volta Ciclista a Catalunya follows a similar format year-on-year, with several stages in the high mountains of the Pyrenees and a tough individual time-trial before a chaotic final day around the suburbs of Barcelona.

Sergio Higuita (Bora-Hansgrohe) secured the overall victory on the final stage of the Volta a Catalunya, finishing safely in a reduced lead group in Montjuïc Park in Barcelona to win his first WorldTour stage race.

Andrea Bagioli (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl) took the win on stage 7, outsprinting Atilla Valter (Groupama-FDJ) and Fernando Barceló (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) at the line as the GC favourites finished among the lead group.

23-year-old Bagioli jumped off the wheel of Guillaume Martin (Cofidis) at 125 metres to go, and was unrivalled in the dash to the line, with Valter only able to race to the finish in the Italian’s wheel.

The sprint finish drew a close to what was a typically hectic day of racing around the circuit in Montjuïc Park, with attacks coming from multiple GC contenders over the closing laps.

Despite attempts from second-placed Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers) and third-placed João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates), though, the top of the GC remained unchanged at the finish as the major contenders came home together.

How it unfolded
A grey but not excessively cold day in central Barcelona greeted the peloton for the last stage of racing, a short and very punchy 136 kilometre leg concluding with multiple laps of the Montjuïc Park. As the ravages of a harsh week of racing continue to have their effect, some teams like Lotto Soudal, were now squeezed down to just one rider, Sylvain Moniquet, for the final day’s racing.

No sooner had the flag dropped than a break of 27 riders went up the road, with the heftily-sized moved including most of the main favourites except for Nairo Quintana (Arkéa-Samsic). And no sooner had that move been caught than another large breakaway sheered away, spearheaded by Steven Kruijswijk (Jumbo-Visma).

The blistering pace began to take its toll as the peloton split into several chunks and Wout Poels (Bahrain Victorious), lying sixth overall, opted to abandon following, as his team somewhat delicately described it, “stomach issues.”

Finally after over an hour of fraught racing, 12 riders managed to claw their way clear: Dylan Teuns (Bahrain Victorious), Giulio Ciccone and Antwan Tolhoek (Trek-Segafredo), Jesus Herrada (Cofidis), Dries Devenyns (Quick Step-AlphaVinyl), Henri Vandenabeele (DSM), Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates), Louis Meintjes (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert) and no less than three racers from Groupama-FDJ – Michael Storer, Sebastian Reichenbach and Quentin Pacher. Also present, despite skidding off the road at one point, was Kruijswijk.

The dozen escapees roared back into Barcelona and towards the six eight kilometre laps of the Montjuic circuit with roughly 90 seconds advantage, while Bora-hansgrohe kept matters undder control for race leader Higuita. Logically enough given their numerical advantage, Trek and Groupama-FDJ did the bulk of the spadework in the break, although collaboration was largely good throughout.

The sun had finally come out by the time the race reached the entrance into the Montjuic circuit, where Devenyns dropped back from the break. Just 40 seconds separated the head of affairs and the bunch as they tackled the circuit’s steep and wildly irregular main climb, less than three kilometres long and averaging a comparatively benign 4.6 percent but with segments of up to 19 percent.

As the gap shrank on the undulating, technical circuit, Groupama realised it was a question of now or never and after a sudden acceleration by Pacher, Kruijswijk quickly joined the Frenchman in the front of the race. Their margin on the peloton, though, was still a scant 45 seconds.

Almost immediately after a quiet first lap, a ferocious increase in pace by UAE, notably Juan Ayuso and George Bennett ended the uneasy truce, shrinking the duo’s advantage to just under a minute and shredding the pelton to 40 riders at most.

However by the third ascent of the six of the Montjuic climb the pace had gone out of the chase again, and while Astana-Qazakstan attempted to maintain a high pace, but in fact the race settled into a steady chase mode again.

25 kilometres from the finish, a counter-attack finally looked as if it would stick, as Joe Dombrowski (Astana Qazaqstan) and young Spanish racer Oier Lazkano (Movistar), joined by Simon Clarke (Israel-Premier Tech) and Devenyns began a more sustained pursuit. Finally, too, Ineos Grenadiers began to show their cards, thanks to Castroviejo and the Rodríguez opening up the throttle on the third last ascent of Montjuïc.

Several more riders, including Hugh Carthy (EF Education-EasyPost) joined the lead group as the race sped towards the final 15 kilometres, but the break was over at the 13km mark as Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers) tried a move on the second-last ascent of the Montjuïc climb.

The Colombian was quickly brought back, however, while a few kilometres later it was his compatriot Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious) who leapt away. His time off the front was a brief one, too, and the reduced lead group continued on as one over the unclassified lump following the descent from the Montjuïc hill.

Near the top of the final ascent, João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) made an acceleration which split up the group and surprisingly distanced Carapaz. On the way down, five men – Higuita, Almeida and his teammate Juan Ayuso, Ben O’Connor (AG2R Citroën), and Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X) were left out front, while Carapaz and the also-dropped Quintana quickly got back on.

O’Connor gave it a nudge as the group passed the Olympic stadium for the final time with 2.5km to go, but nobody would be able to get away so close to the finish. Instead, the chase group behind came back, making it 20 men up front for the finale.

Carlos Verona (Movistar) and Guillaume Martin (Cofidis) launched the sprint to the line before fading, and it was the Italian Andrea Bagioli (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl) who came through in the closing metres to claim the win, the fourth of his career.

Results :
1 Andrea Bagioli (Ita) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team 03:18:09
2 Attila Valter (Hun) Groupama-FDJ
3 Fernando Barceló Aragon (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
4 Juan Ayuso Pesquera (Spa) UAE Team Emirates
5 Dylan Teuns (Bel) Bahrain Victorious
6 Guillaume Martin (Fra) Cofidis
7 Nairo Quintana (Col) Arkea-Samsic
8 Carlos Verona Quintanilla (Spa) Movistar Team
9 Sergio Higuita Garcia (Col) Bora-Hansgrohe
10 Richard Carapaz (Ecu) Ineos Grenadiers
11 Tobias Halland Johannessen (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
12 Sam Oomen (Ned) Jumbo-Visma
13 Robert Gesink (Ned) Jumbo-Visma
14 Ben O’Connor (Aus) AG2R Citroen Team
15 Sébastien Reichenbach (Swi) Groupama-FDJ
16 João Almeida (Por) UAE Team Emirates
17 Torstein Træen (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
18 Hermann Pernsteiner (Aut) Bahrain Victorious
19 Mattias Skjelmose (Den) Trek-Segafredo 00:00:16
20 Daniel Navarro Garcia (Spa) Burgos-BH
21 Sylvain Moniquet (Bel) Lotto Soudal 00:00:28
22 Merhawi Kudus Ghebremedhin (Eri) EF Education-EasyPost
23 Jai Hindley (Aus) Bora-Hansgrohe 00:00:35
24 Simone Velasco (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan Team 00:00:58
25 Roger Adria Oliveras (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
26 Jan Bakelants (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
27 Louis Vervaeke (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team
28 Santiago Buitrago Sanchez (Col) Bahrain Victorious
29 Carlos Rodriguez Cano (Spa) Ineos Grenadiers
30 Kaden Groves (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco 00:01:23
31 Callum Scotson (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco
32 Ivan Ramiro Sosa Cuervo (Col) Movistar Team 00:01:39
33 Ander Okamika Bengoetxea (Spa) Burgos-BH 00:01:50
34 Simone Petilli (Ita) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
35 Mikel Bizkarra Etxegibel (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
36 Jonas Gregaard (Den) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
37 Simon Clarke (Aus) Israel-Premier Tech 00:02:04
38 Mads Würtz Schmidt (Den) Israel-Premier Tech
39 Quentin Pacher (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
40 Elie Gesbert (Fra) Arkea-Samsic
41 Hugh Carthy (GBr) EF Education-EasyPost 00:03:14
42 Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Jumbo-Visma 00:03:30
43 Antonio Jesus Soto Guirao (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 00:04:40
44 Jose Herrada (Spa) Cofidis
45 Dorian Godon (Fra) AG2R Citroen Team
46 Anton Palzer (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe
47 Mikaël Cherel (Fra) AG2R Citroen Team
48 Joan Bou Company (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
49 Daryl Impey (RSA) Israel-Premier Tech
50 Vadim Pronskiy (Kaz) Astana Qazaqstan Team
51 Ben Zwiehoff (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe
52 Larry Warbasse (USA) AG2R Citroen Team
53 Joe Dombrowski (USA) Astana Qazaqstan Team
54 Giulio Ciccone (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
55 Jhojan Garcia Susa (Col) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
56 Carlos Canal Blanco (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
57 Jesus Herrada (Spa) Cofidis
58 Alexandre Delettre (Fra) Cofidis
59 Jonathan Castroviejo Nicolas (Spa) Ineos Grenadiers
60 Louis Meintjes (RSA) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
61 Michal Schlegel (Cze) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
62 Sebastian Henao Gomez (Col) Astana Qazaqstan Team
63 Esteban Chaves Rubio (Col) EF Education-EasyPost
64 George Bennett (NZl) UAE Team Emirates
65 Antwan Tolhoek (Ned) Trek-Segafredo 00:05:42
66 Pierre-Luc Périchon (Fra) Cofidis
67 Sander Armée (Bel) Cofidis
68 Clément Berthet (Fra) AG2R Citroen Team
69 Jaakko Hänninen (Fin) AG2R Citroen Team 00:05:56
70 Rohan Dennis (Aus) Jumbo-Visma
71 Lukasz Owsian (Pol) Arkea-Samsic 00:06:07
72 Ethan Vernon (GBr) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team
73 Damien Howson (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco
74 Jetse Bol (Ned) Burgos-BH
75 Christopher Juul-Jensen (Den) BikeExchange-Jayco
76 Winner Anacona (Col) Arkea-Samsic
77 Diego Camargo Pineda (Col) EF Education-EasyPost
78 Joel Nicolau Beltran (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
79 Rui Costa (Por) UAE Team Emirates
80 William Barta (USA) Movistar Team
81 Javier Romo Oliver (Spa) Astana Qazaqstan Team
82 Gotzon Martin Sanz (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
83 Oier Lazkano Lopez (Spa) Movistar Team
84 Michael Storer (Aus) Groupama-FDJ
85 Matteo Badilatti (Swi) Groupama-FDJ
86 Raul Garcia Pierna (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma 00:06:13
87 Francisco Galvan Fernandez (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
88 Laurens Huys (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux 00:07:38
89 Henri Vandenabeele (Bel) Team DSM
90 Dries Devenyns (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team 00:08:58
91 Jacob Hindsgaul (Den) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 00:10:43
92 Unai Cuadrado Ruiz De Gauna (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 00:11:16
93 Ivo Oliveira (Por) UAE Team Emirates
94 Aleksandr Riabushenko (Blr) Astana Qazaqstan Team 00:14:34
DNF Marc Soler (Spa) UAE Team Emirates
DNF Wout Poels (Ned) Bahrain Victorious
DNF Phil Bauhaus (Ger) Bahrain Victorious
DNF Martin Laas (Est) Bora-Hansgrohe
DNF Rudy Molard (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
DNF Juan Pedro Lopez Perez (Spa) Trek-Segafredo
DNF Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier (Eri) Trek-Segafredo
DNF Marc Brustenga (Spa) Trek-Segafredo
DNF Jan Hirt (Cze) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
DNF Jonathan Caicedo (Ecu) EF Education-EasyPost
DNF Hugo Hofstetter (Fra) Arkea-Samsic
DNF Casper Pedersen (Den) Team DSM
DNF Jonas Iversby Hvideberg (Nor) Team DSM
DNF Héctor Carretero (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
DNF Idar Andersen (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
DNF Eduard Prades Reverter (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
DNF Luis Angel Mate Mardones (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
DNF Alex Molenaar (Ned) Burgos-BH
DNF Adria Moreno Sala (Spa) Burgos-BH
DNF Manuel Peñalver Aniorte (Spa) Burgos-BH

Final General Classification :
1 Sergio Higuita Garcia (Col) Bora-Hansgrohe 29:53:33
2 Richard Carapaz (Ecu) Ineos Grenadiers 00:00:16
3 João Almeida (Por) UAE Team Emirates 00:00:52
4 Nairo Quintana (Col) Arkea-Samsic 00:00:53
5 Juan Ayuso Pesquera (Spa) UAE Team Emirates 00:01:08
6 Ben O’Connor (Aus) AG2R Citroen Team 00:01:10
7 Tobias Halland Johannessen (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 00:01:13
8 Guillaume Martin (Fra) Cofidis 00:01:16
9 Torstein Træen (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 00:01:27
10 Sam Oomen (Ned) Jumbo-Visma 00:01:55
11 Carlos Verona Quintanilla (Spa) Movistar Team 00:01:57
12 Dylan Teuns (Bel) Bahrain Victorious 00:02:04
13 Jai Hindley (Aus) Bora-Hansgrohe 00:02:27
14 Sébastien Reichenbach (Swi) Groupama-FDJ 00:02:47
15 Carlos Rodriguez Cano (Spa) Ineos Grenadiers 00:02:50
16 Mattias Skjelmose (Den) Trek-Segafredo 00:02:54
17 Hermann Pernsteiner (Aut) Bahrain Victorious 00:04:17
18 Daniel Navarro Garcia (Spa) Burgos-BH 00:07:21
19 Jan Bakelants (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux 00:08:08
20 Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Jumbo-Visma 00:08:55
21 Giulio Ciccone (Ita) Trek-Segafredo 00:09:30
22 Jonas Gregaard (Den) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 00:11:20
23 Quentin Pacher (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 00:11:38
24 Javier Romo Oliver (Spa) Astana Qazaqstan Team 00:12:35
25 Anton Palzer (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe 00:16:43
26 Attila Valter (Hun) Groupama-FDJ 00:17:35
27 Hugh Carthy (GBr) EF Education-EasyPost 00:18:15
28 Jesus Herrada (Spa) Cofidis 00:19:50
29 Sylvain Moniquet (Bel) Lotto Soudal 00:20:50
30 Jose Herrada (Spa) Cofidis 00:22:02
31 Simone Petilli (Ita) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux 00:22:36
32 Joe Dombrowski (USA) Astana Qazaqstan Team 00:22:52
33 Damien Howson (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco 00:23:24
34 Henri Vandenabeele (Bel) Team DSM 00:23:52
35 Laurens Huys (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux 00:24:37
36 Simone Velasco (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan Team 00:26:15
37 Santiago Buitrago Sanchez (Col) Bahrain Victorious 00:26:17
38 Fernando Barceló Aragon (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 00:26:53
39 Lukasz Owsian (Pol) Arkea-Samsic 00:27:03
40 Robert Gesink (Ned) Jumbo-Visma 00:27:16
41 Ivan Ramiro Sosa Cuervo (Col) Movistar Team 00:27:44
42 George Bennett (NZl) UAE Team Emirates 00:29:18
43 Jonathan Castroviejo Nicolas (Spa) Ineos Grenadiers 00:29:50
44 Esteban Chaves Rubio (Col) EF Education-EasyPost 00:29:52
45 Sebastian Henao Gomez (Col) Astana Qazaqstan Team 00:30:18
46 Louis Meintjes (RSA) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux 00:30:41
47 Simon Clarke (Aus) Israel-Premier Tech 00:30:44
48 Carlos Canal Blanco (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 00:31:09
49 Clément Berthet (Fra) AG2R Citroen Team 00:31:44
50 Merhawi Kudus Ghebremedhin (Eri) EF Education-EasyPost 00:33:23
51 Callum Scotson (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco 00:35:00
52 Michael Storer (Aus) Groupama-FDJ 00:35:35
53 Daryl Impey (RSA) Israel-Premier Tech 00:36:18
54 Rohan Dennis (Aus) Jumbo-Visma 00:37:28
55 Gotzon Martin Sanz (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 00:39:19
56 Andrea Bagioli (Ita) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team 00:39:38
57 Mikaël Cherel (Fra) AG2R Citroen Team 00:41:58
58 Vadim Pronskiy (Kaz) Astana Qazaqstan Team 00:43:16
59 Francisco Galvan Fernandez (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma 00:43:46
60 Larry Warbasse (USA) AG2R Citroen Team 00:43:55
61 Jetse Bol (Ned) Burgos-BH 00:44:36
62 Louis Vervaeke (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team 00:44:56
63 Ben Zwiehoff (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe 00:45:28
64 Diego Camargo Pineda (Col) EF Education-EasyPost
65 Winner Anacona (Col) Arkea-Samsic 00:46:34
66 Matteo Badilatti (Swi) Groupama-FDJ 00:48:52
67 Dorian Godon (Fra) AG2R Citroen Team 00:49:01
68 Elie Gesbert (Fra) Arkea-Samsic 00:50:34
69 Rui Costa (Por) UAE Team Emirates 00:53:34
70 Joel Nicolau Beltran (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 00:53:37
71 Kaden Groves (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco 00:58:04
72 Mads Würtz Schmidt (Den) Israel-Premier Tech 01:00:30
73 Roger Adria Oliveras (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma 01:00:35
74 Raul Garcia Pierna (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma 01:00:58
75 Jhojan Garcia Susa (Col) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 01:01:22
76 Dries Devenyns (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team 01:03:05
77 William Barta (USA) Movistar Team 01:05:23
78 Antwan Tolhoek (Ned) Trek-Segafredo 01:06:25
79 Christopher Juul-Jensen (Den) BikeExchange-Jayco 01:08:07
80 Joan Bou Company (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 01:10:57
81 Jaakko Hänninen (Fin) AG2R Citroen Team 01:11:08
82 Antonio Jesus Soto Guirao (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 01:13:17
83 Ander Okamika Bengoetxea (Spa) Burgos-BH 01:13:33
84 Pierre-Luc Périchon (Fra) Cofidis 01:13:43
85 Oier Lazkano Lopez (Spa) Movistar Team 01:17:33
86 Sander Armée (Bel) Cofidis 01:18:21
87 Unai Cuadrado Ruiz De Gauna (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 01:18:52
88 Michal Schlegel (Cze) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 01:21:59
89 Mikel Bizkarra Etxegibel (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 01:22:03
90 Jacob Hindsgaul (Den) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 01:27:38
91 Aleksandr Riabushenko (Blr) Astana Qazaqstan Team 01:29:05
92 Ethan Vernon (GBr) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team 01:32:21
93 Alexandre Delettre (Fra) Cofidis 01:33:05
94 Ivo Oliveira (Por) UAE Team Emirates 01:41:51