Richard Carapaz suffers a fall, manages to recover and gets into the top 40 of the Volta a Catalunya | Other Sports | sports

michael matthews (Team BikeExchange-Jayco) won the sprint in the first stage of the Return to Catalonia, of 171.2 kilometers with departure and arrival in Sant Feliu de Guixols (Girona), after an intense day with three third-category ports that was marked by strong wind and rain in some sections and in which it was filmed at a devilish pace.

Thus, the Australian cyclist becomes the first leader of the 101st edition of the Volta, which started harder than expected on the roads of the Costa Brava. Second was the Italian Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain Victorious) and third, the French Quentin Pacher (Groupama-FDJ).

None of the favorites for the general lost time, although the Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz (INEOS) suffered a crash without consequences from which he recovered to the point of occupying the first positions in the last kilometer.

Matthews, who was fourth in Milan-San Remo on Saturday, was able to repeat his stage win in Sant Feliu de Guíxols from 2019. During the tour, the Australian was already part of a group of 24 riders in which some greats slipped in names thanks to the wind that accompanied the entire stage and that put the peloton in trouble.

The first escape of this Volta was carried out by the Dutch Alex Molenaar (Burgos-BH), who tried it alone in the first climb of the day, Alto de Santa Pellaia, in the third category, and managed to crown it with a slight advantage over the peloton, which neutralized it shortly after.

The high pace of the race did not stop on the descent of the port, sinuous and wet due to bad weather, and the peloton was divided into two groups.

From the first came a breakaway made up of six cyclists, including the Spanish Carlos Canal (Euskaltel Euskadi), Antonio Jesus Soto (Euskaltel Euskadi) and Raul Garcia (Kern Pharma), and the Ecuadorian jonathan caicedo (EF Education-Easy Post).

But the wind prevented the peloton from calming down at any time, and a group of 19 cyclists, including the seven members of Team BikeExchange-Jayco, including its leader, Simon Yates, distanced themselves from the large group. This caused the alarms to go off in the teams of his rivals for the general classification and they finished the adventure with 50 kilometers to go.

Then they tried again jonathan caicedo and Alexander Molenaarwho joined Theo Delacroix (Intermarket Wanty), Bruno Armirail (Groupama-FDJ), Jonas Hvidberg (Team DSM) and Pieter Serry (Quick-Step). They managed to open a difference of more than a minute, but the peloton did not loosen at any time and the group of escapees was reduced until it was neutralized.

There was no time for any other adventure, and the arrival, slightly uphill, was territory for sprinters. Matthews and Colbrelli sprinted side by side, one on each side of the road, but in the final meters the Australian held the effort better and took the win.

The second stage, which will take place this Tuesday, will unite the towns of l’Escala, which opens as the starting point of the Volta, and Perpignan, to the that the test will return 67 years after the last time. In the 202.4 kilometers of the route there will be three third category ports and it is expected that the wind will once again be the protagonist.

General classification after the first stage:

1. Michael Matthews, Team Bike Exchange

2. Sonny Colbrelli, Bahrain-Victorious

3. Jonas Iversby Hvideberg, Team DSM

4. Quentin Pacher, Groupama-FDJ

5. Andrea Bagioli, Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team

6. Sergio Higuita, BORA-hansgrohe

7. Mattias Skjelmose Jensen, Trek-Segafredo

8. Simon Clarke, Israel-Premier Tech

9. Eduard Prades, Caja Rural-Seguros RGA

10. Hugo Hofstetter, Team Arkéa Samsic

11. Attila Valter, Groupama-FDJ

12. Tobias Halland Johannessen, One-X Pro Cycling Team

13. Fransico Galván, Kern Pharma Team

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26. Nairo Quintana, Team Arkea Samsic

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32. Richard Carapaz, INEOS Grenadiers

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117. Jonathan Kléver Caicedo, EF Education-EasyPost. (D)