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Van Garderen victorious in queen stage of Volta a Catalunya, De Clercq in lead

March 26, 2015
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American Tejay van Garderen (BMS) soloed to victory out of a select group to win the queen stage of the Volta a Catalunya Thursday. Bart De Clercq (Belgium/Lotto-Soudal), the “last man standing” from the breakaway trio that ripped out a sizeable lead in Stage 1, inherited the race lead from breakmate Pierre Rolland (France/Europe).

Cannondale-Garmin’s Tom Danielson (USA) made the breakaway on consecutive days when he broke free with four other riders early. Danielson was the only rider in the quintet with any mountain points, but he found himself second on the Cat. 1 Alto de Bracons (Frenchman Jerome Coppel of IAM first over) and third on the Cat. 1 Alto de Coubet with Movistar’s José Herrada taking maximum points. The escape’s maximum lead was 7:15.

Back in the peloton first Rolland’s Europcar did the pace-making and then Astana got to work. The gap tumbled to 1:15 before the race headed up the only especial ascent of the 2015 Volta a Catalunya, the Alto de la Creueta, 21-km of 4.5%. The escape began to fragment on the snowy slopes as Tinkoff-Saxo and Sky drove the leader’s bunch. By the time Danielson and Riccardo Zoidl (Austria/Trek) were left as the leading duo, Sky had turned the screws, unhitching Rolland and creating a selection of 20-riders. Danielson finally took the full points at the top of Creueta to slip on the King of the Mountains jersey at the end of the stage.

There was a long, gradual descent to the base of the final climb with its summit finish, La Molina, 5.6-km of 5.8%. Rolland tried to make up the 1:00 gap to the select chase group. With 24-km to go, Zoidl and Danielson held a 1:10 lead. The false flat and slight rise to La Molina proper took its toll on the duo and it was only 30-seconds ahead.

The snatch was made with 4.5-km remaining. At that point Rolland lagged behind by 1:30. Vasil Kiryienka (Belarus/Sky) bolted first, drawing Dan Martin (Ireland/Cannondale-Garmin) and then Van Garderen. Only Van Garderen made the junction with 3-km remaining. Alberto Contador (Spain/Tinkoff-Saxo) attacked next, bringing Van Garderen’s Colombian teammate Darwin Atapuma with him. Kiryienka cracked but was rejuvenated when Richie Porte (Australia/Sky) asked for a lift up to Contador.

Van Garderen still had 9-seconds with a kilometre to go. Porte left Contador in the final 400-metres to take second. Rolland rolled in 5:12 later and is no longer in the top-10.

Friday’s stage 5 begins with an 80-km descent and ends with a Cat. 2 climb that peaks 5.5-km from the finish line in Valls.

2015 Volta a Catalunya Stage 5
1) Tejay Van Garderen (USA/BMC) 5:00:36
2) Richie Porte (Australia/Sky) +0:03
3) Alberto Contador (Spain/Tinkoff-Saxo) +0:08
73) Christian Meier (Canada/Orica-GreenEdge) +23:39
149) Ryder Hesjedal (Canada/Cannondale-Garmin) +27:49

2015 Volta a Catalunya GC
1) Bart De Clercq (Belgium/Lotto-Soudal) 18:32:02
2) Richie Porte (Australia/Sky) +0:21
3) Domenico Pozzovivo (Italy/Ag2r) +0:26
80) Christian Meier (Canada/Orica-GreenEdge) +33:13
131) Ryder Hesjedal (Canada/Cannondale-Garmin) +55:29

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