‘Jonas held his position well’ - Vingegaard shines on technical run-in in Catalunya opener

Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike) successfully navigated the technical finale on the opening stage of the Volta a Catalunya, but the recently crowned Paris-Nice champion was notably right at the head of the peloton on the descent into Sant Feliu de Guíxols in the closing kilometres.

The Dane looked at ease as he glided through the twisty descent, leading the peloton into town ahead of the uphill sprint, a sign of confidence in his technical ability and the fact that the safest place to be is at the front.

In the uphill sprint, Vingegaard found himself well placed, taking 11th on the stage behind winner Dorian Godon (Ineos Grenadiers). Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) finished 2nd on the stage, with Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5) in 3rd, meaning the pair gained a handful of bonus seconds in the GC. 

Reflecting on the stage, Visma | Lease a Bike Sports Director Marc Reef highlighted how Vingegaard excelled in positioning during what was a technical finale.

“We were well-positioned at the key points, which allowed us to stay alert at the front in the finale,” said Reef in a Visma press release. “In the final kilometres, Jonas held his position well and didn’t lose any time. It was a good day.”

In his final race ahead of the Giro d’Italia, the goal for this week in Catalonia is simple for Vingegaard, and that is to win the overall and extend his strong start to the season.

“I’m really looking forward to this week. The field is very strong, but I feel ready,” said Vingegaard. “There are tough stages all week, with the final weekend being especially challenging. It would be great to be able to fight for the win this week.”

Vingegaard himself highlighted the three summit finishes on stages 4, 5, and 6, as well as the hilly circuit finale in Barcelona on stage 7, where he believes the key differences in the GC will be made. 

Stage 2 on Tuesday will be all about keeping safe on the run-in to Banyoles, as the stage has the potential to end in a sprint.