“We all know Roglic is an incredible rider" - Laurens de Plus in awe of Volta a Catalunya winner

Laurens De Plus came close to a stage win on the final day of the Volta a Catalunya, capping a strong overall performance from INEOS Grenadiers. The Belgian launched a bold solo attack on the final climb and held off the chasers to take second place on the stage, just behind Primoz Roglic, who sealed both the stage victory and overall general classification title.

De Plus crossed the line ahead of Lennert Van Eetvelt, who finished third on the day, while Egan Bernal’s consistent riding throughout the week was rewarded with a seventh-place finish overall. Axel Laurance also impressed with a top-10 result in the final sprint, taking ninth place to underline the team’s depth across the week.

Reflecting on the effort, De Plus admitted the intensity of the short final stage had taken him by surprise.

“It was super, super hard. It’s pretty special to have a two-hour stage – we’re used to having longer stages – but I was in a good position on the last climb and I felt like ‘why not?’ I just squeezed and suddenly I was off the front. I ended up seeing Roglic almost, so I was surprised by that.”

Despite falling just short of the win, De Plus was full of praise for Roglic and proud of his own effort.

“We all know Roglic is an incredible rider so I’m not surprised. Congrats to him. You always hope [for the stage win] but I was on my limit and Van Eetvelt did most of the work, so I was already happy to go for second place. I’m super happy with that, so I can end this week with a good feeling.”