Terrific Tadej Pogacar a clear winner on first summit finish of Volta a Catalunya 2024

Tadej Pogacar has dominated all his rivals at the first summit finish of the 2024 Volta a Catalunya, powering to victory atop a snowy and wet Vallter 2000 by a clear margin.

With six attackers finding their way into the day's breakaway, the race quickly settled down into a traditional routine. At least, that was apart from an attack off the front by Tadej Pogacar and Domen Novak that momentarily caused confusion.

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Once their leader was back in the bunch, UAE Team Emirates controlled things at the front of the peloton as the race neared the formidable finale atop Vallter 2000, made even more ominous by the cold and wet weather of the day.

On a descent with just under 40km to go, Pogacar and UAE Team Emirates were again off the front in something of a four-man team time-trial. Again though, they were back in the bunch a few moments later.

With two men, Jimmy Janssens and Samuel Fernandez still off the front at the bonus second sprint, just one was on offer for the peloton and none of the big boys showed their race at the front of the bunch.

By the time the final climb started however, only Janssens remained around two minutes clear at the head of the race.

Although the weather was making things difficult for viewers at home to see, once Janssens was caught, Pogacar attacked clear with around 5km to go from the GC favourites bunch.

Behind the UAE Team Emirates leader, Lenny Martinez and Mikel Landa launched repeated attacks but there was no teamwork in chasing down Pogacar.

Once Landa finally broke free, it was actually Aleksandr Vlasov who joined him. Victory though was unquestionably Pogacar's. In the end, Landa edged out Vlasov in the battle for second.

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Mihai Simion

@faustocoppi60

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Just Pogi having fun while the peloton is trying to catch him. #VoltaCatalunya103

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