Adam Yates wins the Volta a Catalunya as de Gendt wins final stage

Ineos Grenadiers take a full sweep of the overall podium in Barcelona with Yates, Porte and Thomas

Thomas de Gendt (Lotto Soudal) dropped his final breakaway companion Matej Mohoric (Bahrain-Victorious) and soloed to victory on the final stage.

Adam Yates (Ineos Grenadiers) secured the overal victory after Alejandro Valverde and his Movistar teammates put pressure onto them to break their podium 

There was a flurry of attacks in the GC group inside the final circuit, however, Ineos Grenadiers was able to fend off Movistar’s aggression to keep Richie Porte and Geraint Thomas second and third on GC.

American pair Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma) and Brandon McNulty (UAE Emirates) finished 12th and 13th respectively.

The victory was De Gendt’s fifth career stage win at the Volta a Catalunya.

“I was always successful here and so I tried to do my best,” stage-winner De Gendt said. “The first days I wasn’t very good but these last days I could feel some improvement. I had a really good day today. I’ve already won once in Barcelona, it’s special to win in such a big city.”

Mohoric and De Gendt had attacked out of the initial escape group on the first of the six Barcelona circuits. The powerful duo working together to hold off the chasers through to the final lap, at which point De Gendt made his move.

The Belgian attacked midway through the fearsome climb that punctuated the lap, punching away from Mohoric on the steep 17 percent slopes before time trialing clear through the final four kilometers.

“I knew I had to attack Mohoric because if he stayed with me until the downhill he would have dropped me on the downhill and I’d have got second place,” De Gendt said of his winning move. “I could feel he was slowing a little bit so I had to try.”

VIDEO: 2021 Volta a Catalunya Stage 7 Highlights

2021 Volta a Catalunya Stage 7 Top 10

1 Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Lotto Soudal 3:06:10
2 Matej Mohoric (Slo) Bahrain Victorious 0:00:22
3 Attila Valter (Hun) Groupama-FDJ 0:01:42
4 Sébastien Reichenbach (Swi) Groupama-FDJ 0:01:46
5 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team
6 Michael Woods (Can) Israel Start-up Nation
7 Marc Hirschi (Swi) UAE Team Emirates
8 João Almeida (Por) Deceuninck-QuickStep#

2021 Volta a Catalunya Final GC

1 Adam Yates (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers 26:16:41
2 Richie Porte (Aus) Ineos Grenadiers 0:00:45
3 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers 0:00:49
4 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team 0:01:03
5 Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Bora-Hansgrohe
6 Esteban Chaves Rubio (Col) Team BikeExchange 0:01:04
7 João Almeida (Por) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:01:05
8 Hugh Carthy (GBr) EF Education-Nippo 0:01:20
9 Simon Yates (GBr) Team BikeExchange 0:01:32
10 Lucas Hamilton (Aus) Team BikeExchange 0:01:35