The 103rd edition of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya Sunday ended at full speed Montjuic with the feeling of having enjoyed a great career. Yes, ruled by an iron fist Tadej Pogacarbut to feel in the body of having a great race as was not seen for years.
These are the records – always disputed – that can be issued after lowering the checkered flag of Return to Catalonia 2024:
10
TADEJ POGACAR
A stellar debut at Volta
Seldom have the Volta experienced such clear dominance as Tadej Pogacar did this year. A tyranny carried out with elegance and always with a smile. He won four stages, three individual classifications, he finished victorious with a difference (3’41”) not seen in the Volta since 1983 and his number of wins has not been recorded since Mario Cipollini in 1998.
9
MIKEL LANDA
The best version of ‘landism’
In the interview before the Volta given by Mikel Landa to MD, he seems excited and looking forward to achieving a good result in the Catalan round, only he knows if he expects to have such a good performance (2nd). The one from Soudal became the first of the earthly cyclists after the extraterrestrial Pogacar, the only one relatively close to him in the mountains. It was in the previous Vuelta al Algarve that he left good feelings and in the Volta he confirmed them: the change of scenery, from Bahrain to Soudal, suited him wonderfully and he regained his best version.
9
EGAN BERNAL
The most applauded return
Seeing Egan Bernal competitive again and in third place in the Volta is one of the good news of this edition of the Catalan round. The winner of the 2019 Tour and the 2021 Giro suffered a serious accident in January 2022 when he crashed a bus during training, during which he himself indicated that he was “happy to be alive”. He suffered from the unwritten. There were those who doubted that he could perform at the same level, and he, patiently, did it in a race where he was already 3rd in 2019, but in 2018 he had an accident at Montjuïc.
8
A GOOD ADDRESS
With Rubèn Peris at the helm
It is not easy to design the route of a seven-day cycling event that also covers almost all the territory, especially in a race like the Volta with the conditions and fate to start from Sant Feliu de Guíxols and end in Barcelona ., passing through a Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat ski resort. It is true that a time trial was never held again, but the success of the queen’s stage drawing, with the Coll de Pradell and the finish at Queralt, exceeded any expectations, and its demand and spectacle went all over the world.
7
VOLTA GETS BACK THE BEST FANS
Cyclists have noticed the warmth of the public
Another positive note of this edition of the Volta is the recovery of the heat of the fans. There are times when a lack of public spoils the spectacle of a race, which was not the case at Volta. At all stage starts there are crowds of fans looking for a photo and an autograph, even in the intermediate sprints and in many of the passing towns, not to mention the warm welcome the runners receive at Montjuïc , Although the crowd in Coll de Pradell and Queralt deserve special mention, worthy of a great cycling tour.
7
LAURENCE, SCHULTZ AND VAN DEN BERG
The three cyclists who will ‘company’ with Pogacar
These three cyclists shared the three pieces of cake that Pogacar left behind after winning four stages. Special mention deserves the Australian Nick Schultz, who gave everything in the first sprint and whom Pogacar could not do. Also notable was Dutchman Marijn van den Berg, winner of the sprint on day four and second on day five, almost making it a double, behind Frenchman Axel Laurance. And the Frenchman Lenny Martinez also deserves a mention. He is the best young man. He finished 7th overall and is growing fast.
6
THE PERFORMANCE OF MODESTO TEAMS
Top Rank, Kern Pharma
It is often said that when a ‘modest’ team is invited to a cycling race, it must respond with dedication. And this is what four Spanish teams did, with greater or lesser success. Among the overall teams, the best is Kern Pharma, 12th, ahead of Euskaltel-Euskadi, both present in breakaways, and many higher level teams. Unlucky for Burgos-BH who saw how their best man, José Manuel Díaz, had to retire in the third stage when he was 10th overall; while Caja Rural played the cards of Venezuelan Orluis Aular, 4th in Viladecans.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Robert Maynard, and I am a passionate journalist with experience in sports writing. For the last few years, I have been writing for Today Times Live. My main focus has been on sports-related stories and features. With my strong background in journalism and extensive knowledge of the industry, I am able to provide readers with well-crafted pieces that are both informative and engaging.
