“It’s a pity Riccitello left a gap. Everything got messed up” - Cian Uijtdebroeks rues costly time loss after descent error in Catalunya

Cian Uijtdebroeks was left to reflect on what might have been after the sixth stage of the Volta a Catalunya, with a single moment on the descent ultimately undoing an aggressive plan to move up the general classification.

Riding his first stage race since returning from a broken elbow, the Belgian had started the day ninth overall and managed to gain a place by the finish. But the outcome did not fully reflect the intent he had carried into the stage. “We had made a plan to create a selection on that climb and put some of the guys ahead of me in the classification under pressure,” Uijtdebroeks explained after the finish in quotes to Sporza.

That plan briefly came to life on the climb, as Uijtdebroeks looked to force a split among the contenders rather than wait for the final ascent. “I went for it, but I didn’t really get anyone with me. That was a shame, because I felt like making it a really hard day.”

Without support, the move quickly lost its viability. With a long valley still to come and the peloton close behind, Uijtdebroeks opted against committing fully to a long-range solo. “There was no point in continuing to push. A solo of 60 kilometres? I thought about it for a moment, but the peloton wasn’t far behind, and there was still that valley section to come.”

The race then turned on the descent that followed, where the front group began to split under pressure, and positioning became critical.

Uijtdebroeks lost contact with the group that would go on to shape the stage, a moment he traced back to a small but costly gap opening ahead of him. “It’s a pity Riccitello left a gap. Everything got messed up.”

That hesitation proved enough to separate him from the decisive move, with the likes of Remco Evenepoel and Jonas Vingegaard pushing on ahead while Uijtdebroeks was left trying to limit losses behind.

Despite the frustration, there were still positives to take from the performance. Uijtdebroeks moved up one place overall and showed signs of improving condition after his recent injury setback. “But we gave what we could, and the feeling in the legs was good. I’m confident that we’re on the right track.”

With another demanding stage to come, the Belgian remains on course for a top 10 finish, even if this was a day that hinted at the possibility of something more.