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PREVIEW | Volta a Catalunya 2024 stage 7 - Montjuic circuit to decide overall classification; Tadej Pogacar main favourite on a day where breakaway usually wins
CyclingSunday, 24 March 2024 at 10:31
Stage 7 of the Volta a Catalunya features the traditional finale in Barcelona. Tadej Pogacar has the race sealed and won, but he can still take a fourth win in the very tough circuit around the Alto de Montjuic.
The final day, the traditional circuit in Barcelona. Regularly, a day for a breakaway, however many scenarios can decide such a day. There are only 145 kilometers to be ridden, as the riders leave Barcelona and face some rolling roads where the breakaway will be established.
Stage 7: Barcelona - Barcelona, 145.3 kilometers
The race is to be decided in the final circuit though. Six laps over the Alto de Montjuic, it’s a tough circuit, which usually benefits early attackers as there is almost no flat within it’s 8 kilometers. The descent off the Montjuic is very fast and allows riders to take a rest after every ascent.
Ascent which is 2.4 kilometers at 4.7%, however the gradient is very misleading as it includes a flat section. The true hilltop is quite explosive, it has 900 meters at 10% which is enough to create damage in the peloton, and also splits that may prove crucial for the overall classification. In the final lap, it will come only 5 kilometers away from the summit, all of them downhill except for a small uphill pitch next to the city’s Olympic stadium, 2 kilometers away from the finish.
The Weather
Map Volta a Catalunya 2024 stage 7
Some wind from the south but ultimately it will not really have an effect on the day, as the riders often change direction during the day and then in the final circuit it will not be meaningful.
Read also
Breakaway bingo or GC day?
Tadej Pogacar - Honestly it depends on what UAE want. If they control the day, keep the gap to around a minute into the final circuit, they can certainly keep the race under control until Pogacar attacks. He can drop the competition again and win stage number 4, but he really doesn't have to. However he and UAE have shown to have no real tactic today and just win on the basis of being the strongest; nothing truly prevents them from doing the same again.
Don't expect anyone else to match him, don't get your hopes up. In this terrain the likes of Mikel Landa, Aleksandr Vlasov and Egan Bernal who have shown some good results so far will be even less likely to be able to follow him. Landa is safe on the podium and Bernal would be thrilled to end there; so they defend. Vlasov, Enric Mas, Chris Harper and Lenny Martínez behind however are in an extremely tight battle for fourth place and certainly action will come from there. Antonio Tiberi and Wout Poels can also be in the mix for a strong result if the break does not capture glory on the day.
Traditionally this race ends with a day for the breakaway. The final circuit's descents are very technical, there are no flat roads and the climbs are tough so in-form riders can do damage early on and then hold gaps as it's hard to organize an efficient chase. That could happen here, expect riders to attack from early on in the circuit and try to be ahead of the competition. However if they will or not still fight for the stage win is a different question and largely depends on the actions of UAE.
Attila Vallter, Rémy Rochas, Axel Laurance, Sergio Higuita, Hugh Carthy, Guillaume Martin, Nicolas Prodhomme, Harold Tejada and Andreas Leknessund are all cards to play for in a scenario like this. Adding to that, I would say the entire remaining team of Israel - Premier Tech can also play the game here, specially Stephen Williams who should also be able to match the GC riders on these climbs; but also Michael Woods, Nick Schultz, George Bennett and Marco Frigo.
Prediction Volta a Catalunya 2024 stage 7:
*** Tadej Pogacar, Stephen Williams
** Guillaume Martin, Harold Tejada, Andreas Leknessund
* Mikel Landa, Egan Bernal, Antonio Tiberi, Attila Vallter, Rémy Rochas, Sergio Higuita, Hugh Carthy, Nicolas Prodhomme, Michael Woods
Pick: Tadej Pogacar
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- And your point is what exactly?vappaxbipmv22-12-2024
- MVDP dominates this sport even more than Pogaçar dominates road racing. Also he can beat Tadej on the road quite regularly, the opposite is unlikely.Mistermaumau22-12-2024
- If you listen to team radios you'll hear each DS telling their riders to ride faster, fight their way to the front, and all occupy the same 8 places.Sweep22-12-2024
- You're talking about a sport where equipment and clothing is measured in grams.Sweep22-12-2024
- “During a TT, I am basically blind”. That was his quote after crashing into the barriers in a TT. The problem isn’t the UCI, radios or air bags. The problem is the riders and their teams.JoeyB22-12-2024
- I think you overestimate scientific knowledge and for sure the spreading of it. There are huge numbers of people in similar situations, if there were an easy solution somebody would be making big money out of it. Nerve pain can have many complex origins or be due to complex combinations of reasons. Even if you discover a reason there is not always a solution. Migraines haven’t been solved either. I have had lower back/hip nerve pains on and off for over 30 years, no kind of doctor has ever found a way to reduce, prevent or solve the problem. It may just be that some people are born with nerves that are too short or get twisted out of position during certain movements.Mistermaumau22-12-2024
- Amazing ride by her and very promising for her future. On a side note, it’s a bit worrying all these wins riders have after emotional moments in their lives, someone will come up with emotional doping at some point. Maybe give them fake news just before a big race to get hormones pumping.Mistermaumau22-12-2024
- I doubt he will have the energy to do that if he continues to do leadout for Phillipsenabstractengineer22-12-2024
- I know several people who’ve tried contacting sport airbag manufacturers and none of them ever got a reply. Might be hard to organise anything with such attitudes.Mistermaumau22-12-2024
- It's the BBC. Who cares outside of little Britain.leodis22-12-2024