Kaden Groves wins in Perpinyà and Jonas Iversby Hvideberg takes the lead of the Volta
March 22 nd 2022 - 19:51
(Perpinyà, 22-03-2022).- Kaden Groves (Team BikeExchange-Jayco) was the winner of the second stage of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya 2022, held on Tuesday between L'Escala and Perpinyà. Norwegian Jonas Iversby Hvideberg (Team DSM) has taken the lead of the general classification after obtaining bonuses in the two intermediate sprints of the stage.
The second stage of the Volta a Catalunya had some novelties at the start and finish. The big group started the second day of competition in L'Escala, an unprecedented venue in the Volta, and the stage would take them to the finish line in Perpinyà 67 years after the race did it for the last time. After the rain of the first stage, the weather gave the riders a break and the sun took centre stage on the second day.
In the first kilometres of the stage, the breakaway of the day was formed by Jonas Iversy Hvideberg (Team DSM), who had already attacked in the first stage and had become leader of the mountains and the young riders' classification; Joan Bou (Euskaltel-Euskadi), and the Catalan Adrià Moreno (Burgos-BH). Team BikeExchange-Jayco, with leader Michael Matthews, was the team that took the reins of the peloton during the first half of the stage and the advantage of the escapees was maintained at around 5 minutes.
Bahrain-Victorious joined the chase of the escapees in a second part of the stage marked by crashes: Andrea Bagioli (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team), Iván Ramiro Sosa (Movistar Team), Marc Soler (UAE Team) or Roger Adrià (Kern Pharma Team) were some of the favourites who were affected. In addition, the Australian Richie Porte (INEOS Grenadiers), had to abandon after riding at the back of the peloton during the whole stage.
The three escaped riders have passed the three mountain passes of the stage and the two intermediate sprints, located in Port de la Selva and Llançà, at the front. This allowed Norwegian Jonas Iversby Hvideberg to gain five seconds which, at the end of the day, made him the leader of the general classification. In addition, with the points he has obtained, he has also become the leader of the regularity and has maintained the leadership of the mountains. Catalan Adrià Moreno won the prize for the most combative rider of the stage.
The peloton caught the three escapees 25 kilometres from the finish line and the pace was frenetic until Perpinyà. Carlos Rodríguez (INEOS Grenadiers), with mechanical problems, and Simon Yates (Team BikeExchange-Jayco), affected by a fall, lost contact with the rest of the favourites and the fans caused by the wind and the high pace created a cut in the big group. Fewer than 50 riders remained in the group that was playing for victory in the streets of Perpinyà. Michael Matthews, who had won the first stage and was wearing the leader's jersey, made the throw-in for his team-mate Kaden Groves, who overtook Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain-Victorious) in a tight finish to take his first World Tour victory.
This Wednesday, the Volta a Catalunya will take the start of the third stage from Perpinyà and the 161 kilometres of the route will take the riders to the first high finish of this edition, in La Molina. The last visit of the Volta to the ski resort ended with the victory of Miguel Ángel López, who also ended up winning the general classification.