Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) clinched his third title at the Volta a Catalunya on Sunday despite Simon Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) winning the seventh and final stage after a late breakaway.
With 20 kilometres remaining on the stage, Valverde made a move from the peloton and took Egan Bernal (Team Sky) with him. The change of rhythm neutralised the escape and the peloton rode together, even though they were attempts by riders like Marc Soler, Bob Jungels and Carlos Verona.
Simon Yates attacked with 4 kilometres from the end and created a gap big enough to allow him to take a solo victory. Valverde arrived with the peloton and secured the overall victory of the race.
“I did not even expect to feel this good,” Valverde said. “I think I can say I’m in better shape than last year.”
Valverde’s team-mate Nairo Quintana finished 29 seconds behind in the overall standings and Pierre Latour (AG2R La Mondiale) ended 47 seconds back in third.
Egan Bernal, who had started the final day in second, was denied a place on the podium by a dramatic late fall.
https://youtu.be/cX0gmMmiZeI
Volta a Catalunya 2018 – stage 7 results (Barcelona – Barcelona):
| 1 | Simon Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) | 3:28:04 |
| 2 | Marc Soler (Movistar) | +13” |
| 3 | Pierre Latour (AG2R La Mondiale) | +18” |
| 4 | Jarlinson Pantano (Trek-Segafredo) | ,, |
| 5 | Jay McCarthy (Bora-hansgrohe) | ,, |
| 6 | Matej Mohoric (Bahrain-Merida) | ,, |
| 7 | Steven Kruijswijk (LottoNL-Jumbo) | ,, |
| 8 | Warren Barguil (Fortuneo-Samsic) | ,, |
| 9 | Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) | ,, |
| 10 | George Bennett (LottoNL-Jumbo) | ,, |
Final general classification:
| 1 | Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) | 28:25:07 |
| 2 | Nairo Quintana (Movistar) | +29” |
| 3 | Pierre Latour (AG2R La Mondiale) | +47” |
| 4 | Simon Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) | ,, |
| 5 | Marc Soler (Movistar) | +01’10” |
| 6 | George Bennett (LottoNL-Jumbo) | +01’23” |
| 7 | Daniel Martinez (EF Education First-Drapac) | +01’29” |
| 8 | Steven Kruijswijk (LottoNL-Jumbo) | +01’31” |
| 9 | Jesper Hansen (Astana) | ,, |
| 10 | Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) | +01’34” |
