Nick Schultz gets ahead of everyone in Sant Feliu de Guíxols
March 19 th 2024 - 09:25 [GMT + 1]
The 103rd stage of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya got underway this Monday, March 18, with a nervous first stage starting and finishing in Sant Feliu de Guíxols. It has been 173.9 kilometers decided in the always demanding finish in the town of Empordà, where the Australian Nick Schultz has been able to anticipate the big favorites of the race to take the first victory ahead of Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) and his teammate Israel-Premier Tech, Stephen Williams.
The 175 cyclists participating in this 103rd edition of the Volta a Catalunya have given the starting signal from Sant Feliu de Guíxols, ready to face a 173.9-kilometer route starting and finishing in the city of Empordà.
The route through the Gavarres massif included the Alt de la Ganga (3rd category), the Alt dels Àngels (2nd category) and the Alt de Sant Grau (2nd category), the latter crowned just 20 kilometers from the finish line, which made this an opening day in which anything could happen. Alex Baudin (Decathlon Ag2r La Mondiale), Simone Petilli (Intermarché-Wanty), Kenny Elissonde (Cofidis), Adne Holter (Uno-X Mobility) and Mikel Bizkarra (Euskaltel-Euskadi) were the protagonists of the breakaway of the day, which earned the Frenchman Kenny Elissonde the first lead in the mountain’s classification of this Volta, and the Basque Mikel Bizkarra, the prize for the most combative of the day.
The rider, pushed by Tadej Pogačar's UAE Team Emirates, has caught the group before the last climb of the day, and the Alt de Sant Grau, where they have fought to dominate the first positions both in its ascent and descent.
However, the move that no one was able to control was that of Nick Schultz (Israel-Premier Tech), who anticipated the rider in the last kilometer already in the streets of Sant Feliu de Guíxols. Tadej Pogačar himself has started in the last 300 meters to catch the movement of the Australian, who has finally been able to celebrate the triumph in extremis to become the first leader of the Volta a Catalunya 2024.
The race celebrates this Tuesday, March 19 its second stage, a mountain day of 186.5 kilometers with departure from Mataró and arrival at altitude to the mountain resort of Vallter, in Setcases (Vall de Camprodon). A high-altitude challenge in the cycling summit of Catalonia that will serve to start defining the general classification of the race among the great favorites.
