The Quick-Step sprinter debuts his record as a professional, while the Portuguese snatches the lead from Quintana for a second
BARCELONA, 25 MAR. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The British rider Ethan Vernon, from the Quick-Step, has won the sprint for the fifth stage of the Volta ciclista a Catalunya, disputed between La Pobla de Segur and Vilanova i la Geltrú over 206.3 kilometres, while the Portuguese Joao Almeida ( UAE Emirates) is the new leader of the general classification.
Ethan Vernon, a young track specialist who won a stage in the Tour del Porvenir in 2021, won the final stretch, with a time of 5 hours, 21 minutes and 17 seconds, ahead of the German Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain-Victorious ) and the Frenchman Dorian Godon (AG2R), with which he debuted his record in the professional field.
The escape of the day was led by a trio of Spaniards, Urko Berrade (Kern Pharma), Gotzon Martín (Esukaltel-Euskadi) and Joel Nicolau (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), who were neutralized shortly before the intermediate sprint from Pantá de Foix after to remain 170 escaped kilometers.
At that point Joao Almeida was third behind his teammate Rui Costa and Tobias Halland Johannessen and achieved a bonus second that allowed him to take the lead from Nairo Quintana, with whom he was equal in time after the stage the day before with the end of the station of Boí-Taüll.
This Saturday the sixth and penultimate stage will be held, starting and finishing in Salou-Cambrills, 168.5 kilometers long, with two second category ports, the last of which is Coll de la Teixeta, less than 30 kilometers from the finish line , and one of the first, the Coll de les Llebres Mussara, at the beginning of the day.
–CLASSIFICATIONS.
– Stage.
.1. Ethan Vernon (GBR/Quick-Step)5h21:17.
.2. Phil Bauhaus (Ale/Bahrain Victorious) m.t.
.3. Dorian Godon (Fra/AG2R) m.t.
.4. Guillaume Boivin (Can/Israel-Premier Tech)m.t.
.5. Kaden Groves (Aus/Team BikeExchange-Jayco)m.t.
– General.
.1. Joao Almeida (By/UAE Emirates) 22:26:09.
.2. Nairo Quintana (Col/Team Arkéa-Samsic) a1.
.3. Sergio Higuita (Col/BORA Hansgrohe)7.
.4. JUAN AYUSO (Esp/UAE Team Emirates)18.
.5. Wouter Poels (Hol / BORA Hansgrohe) mt