“Red Bull put pressure on... but I was there” - Jonas Vingegaard answers rivals with another statement win in Catalunya

Jonas Vingegaard tightened his grip on the Volta a Catalunya with another commanding display on the summit finish, responding decisively after pressure from Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe had briefly reshaped the race and extending his overall lead in the process.

The Danish rider once again proved the strongest on the final climb to Queralt, attacking from a reduced group of favourites that included Remco Evenepoel and Florian Lipowitz before riding clear to take the stage win. Behind him, Lenny Martinez and Lipowitz completed the podium, with the result reshuffling the general classification in Vingegaard’s favour.

The stage had been shaped long before the final ascent, with Team Visma | Lease a Bike controlling the race behind a dangerous breakaway that included riders within striking distance on the general classification, such as Richard Carapaz and Andreas Leknessund. “We wanted to go for the stage again today. We got a good breakaway and then controlled it really well for a long, long time. The whole team did an amazing job,” Vingegaard said after the finish.

That control was tested on the decisive descent, where Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe increased the pace through Evenepoel, splitting the race and forcing a selection among the contenders. Several GC rivals were distanced in that moment, including Felix Gall, who would ultimately lose significant time. “Then, in the last steep downhill, Red Bull put some pressure on, but luckily, I was up there, and I was in the group ahead on the last climb.”

From there, the stage came down to a select group on the climb to Queralt, with Vingegaard joined by Evenepoel, Lipowitz, Martinez and Valentin Paret-Peintre as the race for the win unfolded. “From there, it was a battle between six guys,” Vingegaard explained. “I still had legs for an attack; that’s what I did. I was able to drop the other guys; it was a good day.”

His acceleration proved decisive. Lipowitz and Martinez were left to fight for the remaining podium places, while Evenepoel and Paret-Peintre settled just behind as the gaps began to open on the steep gradients.

The result has left Vingegaard firmly in control of the overall standings heading into the final stage in Barcelona. He now leads Martinez by 1 minute and 22 seconds, with Lipowitz a further eight seconds back at 1 minute and 30 seconds.

Paret-Peintre sits fourth at 1:43, while Evenepoel completes the top five at 2:17 after his efforts on the descent and early part of the climb. Gall, who had started the day higher on GC, drops to sixth at 3:17, with Mattias Skjelmose, Cian Uijtdebroeks, Matthew Riccitello and Richard Carapaz rounding out the top ten.

With the race now firmly under his control, Vingegaard was measured when looking ahead to the final stage, acknowledging that the terrain may not play as naturally to his strengths. “Sunday is maybe not the kind of stage that suits me the best. If I can win another stage, that’d be nice, but the main focus will be to keep the leader’s jersey.”

With consecutive summit victories and a clear buffer over his closest challengers, Vingegaard heads into the finale with the overall win now heavily leaning in his favour.