Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) had to fight every metre of the way to win his third Volta a Catalunya in a dramatic, crash-ridden finale that saw second-placed Egan Bernal (Team Sky) abandon the race injured, and Simon Yates (Michelton-Scott) take the stage win.
The defending champion responded personally to several attacks by Bernal and Yates on a tumultuous series of multiple 6.6-kilometre laps of the slippery, hilly final circuit through the Montjuic Park in Barcelona.
Yates went clear first with teammate Daryl Impey, then formed a four-rider attack with another Michelton-Scott rider, Carlos Verona. He finally dropped Valverde’s teammate Marc Soler - who had beaten the Briton recently in Paris-Nice - to claim the stage win alone.
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Valverde, however, remained the overall leader, taking the Volta a Catalunya ahead of Nairo Quintana - the overall winner in 2016 - and Pierre LaTour (AG2R La Mondiale). It was Valverde’s third stage race win of the season, after the Volta a Valencia and Tour of Abu Dhabi. Next stop: the Ardennes.
"It's been a very hard-fought race, and overall we did very well," Valverde said, "with me in first, Nairo second, Marc fifth and second on today's stage and the teams prize. I'm just sorry about what happened to Bernal.
"It's just sad proof that we are right to say something is never won 'til you cross the final finishing line."
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
via Cyclingnews Latest Race Results http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/volta-ciclista-a-catalunya-2018/stage-7/results
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