Volta a Catalunya - Everything you need to know
Volta a Catalunya route
Not just Pogačar – Five storylines to follow at the Volta a Catalunya
How to watch the 2024 Volta a Catalunya
Result
Volta a Catalunya: Tadej Pogacar dominates stage 2 seizing overall lead
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of stage 2 of the Volta a Catalunya!
You join us as the peloton heads out for the neutral start in Mataró.
Here's a look at the results from stage 1 of the race.
Israel-Premier Tech rider Nick Schultz took the stage win with a late attack in Sant Feliu de Guixols ahead of Tadej Pogačar.
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186km to go
The flag has dropped at the start of today's stage and racing is underway.
The peloton all sticking together at this early stage.
Flat roads to start the stage.
180km to go
An attack by six men from the front of the peloton....
This looks like our break of the day already.
Jimmy Janssens (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Kevin Colleoni (Intermarché-Wanty), Samuel Fernández (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Alex Jaime (Kern Pharma), Jambaljamts Sainbayar (Burgos-BH), and Xabier Isasa (Euskaltel-Euskadi) are in the move.
Three Spaniards plus an Italian, Belgian and Mongolian in the move.
173km to go
The breakaway riders have two minutes on the peloton currently.
The peloton rolling out at the start of today's stage.
Five minutes for the breakaway six now.
How to watch the 2024 Volta a Catalunya
Watch Tadej Pogacar in action on his debut at the mountainous stage race
A look at the break of the day with Janssens at the front.
165km to go
6:30 for the breakaway now and Israel-Premier Tech are taking the lead in the peloton.
The team are leading the way on behalf of race leader and stage 1 winner Nick Schultz.
Tadej Pogačar has attacked from the peloton! He's making a move along with his teammate Domen Novak.
That is... surprising.
Surely it can't be a real move on the flat roads this far out from the finish...
We'll wait for further updates.
It appears that the move will be a brief one.
160km to go
Pogačar and Novak are reportedly back among the peloton now after a 5km ride off the front. Bizarre.
6:40 for the breakaway now.
Yep, here's a shot of Pogačar and Novak on the attack.
All back to normal now after that strange move.
153km to go
Israel-Premier Tech and UAE Team Emirates now pulling at the head of the peloton.
Pogačar and Novak on the attack a little earlier on.
100km to go until the riders hit the first of two climbs today, the Coll de Coubet.
146km to go
We've been underway for an hour and the riders have covered just over 40km.
No major obstacles to traverse before the Coubet.
No change in the race situation at the moment following Pogačar's brief move. The break remain 6:30 up the road.
The peloton, including the aptly named Hungarian champion Attila Valter, on the road to Vallter 2000 today.
Around 20km to go until the riders hit the day's first intermediate sprint in Girona.
Here's what Tadej Pogačar had to say ahead of the start today, speaking to CyclingPro.net...
"It was a really nice stage. We had a great plan and great teammates. Sadly yesterday Jay Vine didn't feel so good so we lost him early – today he can't start because of stomach problems.
"We managed to take second place. It was a great opp for Nick Schultz to take the win and Israel-Premier Tech made a great tactical play and made it happen. For me, it was a little bit too short to the finish line.
"I was thinking too much and relying too much on others. Everybody was waiting for us to do the final move. When Schultz got a gap there was hesitation from everybody. I was thinking Visma would close the gap but I should have taken the initiative.
"Today, on one side it's good that Israel-Premier Tech have the jersey. Let's hope they honour it and control the start and race until the final as the leaders. Then in the final climb, we'll see what we can do, how strong the guys are, and try to make the difference."
125km to go
6:10 for the breakaway now.
Around 15km to Girona now.
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120km to go
It's still Israel and UAE on the front, 5:50 down on the break.
The peloton racing along a highway during today's stage.
It's still pretty much all flat roads for the time being.
114km to go
The breakaway riders have passed through the intermediate sprint at Girona. Isasa lead the way ahead of Janssens and Colleoni.
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100km to go
No change in the situation at the moment following the sprint in Girona.
As well as having Alasdair Fotheringham on the ground here in Catalunya, we have Barry Ryan and James Moultrie heading out to the cobbled Classics this week.
Check out our in-depth analysis piece on the upcoming races and the Van der Poel-Van Aert rivalry below...
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The six riders out front still have a healthy lead, however, the gap has fallen from 5:30 to 4:30 minutes over the last 15km.
Sepp Kuss (Visma-Lease a Bike) finished ninth in the opening stage and is sitting in 11th overall at 10 seconds back in the GC. He spoke with the media at the start in Mataró this morning and made a few pre-race predictions.
"It's all good so far, and it's sometimes nice to know all the roads and what's coming. But, I think a lot of the peloton trains here a lot, so it's good for everybody.
"It's more or less straightforward with just one climb in the end. We have to see what kind of differences there will be or what the weather is like ... who knows?
"There are so many good riders here and good climbers. There can always be some surprises, you never know.
"This race is straightforward, only mountain stages so we [Visma-Lease a Bike teammates] can help each other and see how we do."
85km to go
Israel-Premier Tech and UAE Team Emirates are leading the peloton and holding the gap to the breakaway at four minutes as the race heads toward the second intermediate sprint in Olot, and as the finale, Vallter 2000 looms ahead.
The is no change to the race situation with the six breakaway riders working together out front, however, the average speeds are starting to drop as the terrain shift from the flatter valley roads to the more mountainous.
In about 10km, the breakaway will reach the first categorised ascent of the day at Coll de Coubet, which is 9.6km and has an average gradient of 5.4%.
Aleksandr Vlasov (Bora-Hansgrohe), who is 10 seconds down in the GC, spoke with CyclingPro.net ahead of the stage about his ambitions for the overall classification, and how to beat race-favourite Tadej Pogacar.
"I want to show a good result in the GC. My legs were good in Paris-Nice. I've had some rest and we will see today how it goes.
"We can always race for second place, but we can also try to do something. Yesterday, it was possible to beat [Tadej Pogacar] and maybe today it will be something similar.
"It is very difficult to beat him but we will see. Today is a different day, a different stage, a long mountain, and so it will be more difficult. You really need to have the legs."
66km to go
The riders have just tackled an unclassified climb ahead of the Coll de Coubet.
Now just 3:20 between break and peloton.
Live pictures are about to begin. You can out how to watch the Volta a Catalunya with our comprehensive guide.
The riders now beginning the climb to the Coll de Coubet.
The climb is 9.6km long at 5.2%.
52km to go
Jimmy Janssens making a move from the breakaway now.
Fernandez and Isasa are following him.
Janssens and Fernandez off the front now.
51km to go
2:30 between break and peloton.
It was sunny and warm earlier but it's now raining on the riders as they make their way up the first-category climb.
Isasa currently 10 seconds behind the two leaders.
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47km to go
Fernandez leads Janssens over the top of the climb.
Isasa and Sainbayar now 25 seconds down in the chase. The remainder of the break is at 40 seconds. The peloton is 3:05 back.
UAE Team Emirates at the head of the peloton.
40km to go
Fernandez off the front of the race now with Janssens dropping back on the descent.
Tadej Pogačar is pushing on the front on the way down the descent!
2:05 for Fernandez at the moment.
A small group is with Pogačar now, though only a few seconds off the front.
Janssens catches Fernandez out front.
The riders hitting the end of the descent and they race into the valley and Sant Joan de les Abdesses.
34km to go
It's all back together in the peloton now.
1:55 for the two leaders currently.
UAE back on the front on the flatter ground before the final climb.
Colleoni and Jaime have been caught and now it's just the two groups of two left on the move out front.
Ineos Grenadiers and Visma-Lease A Bike also at the front along with UAE Team Emirates.
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It looks like only Janssens and Fernandez are left from the early breakaway now.
26km to go
2:15 for the breakaway now.
EF join UAE at the head of the peloton.
It's still pouring rain on the road to Vallter 2000.
22km to go
A 40kph average speed so far.
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Janssens has left Fernandez behind at the front of the race now.
The pair led the way over the final intermediate sprint of the day at Camprodon. Felix Großschartner led the peloton across the line for third place.
Still two minutes between the break and peloton.
17km to go
6km until the riders start the final climb of the day.
Ineos, Bahrain, UAE, Visma all up there at the front of the peloton.
Fernandez back in the peloton now. Just Janssens left up front.
Rain pouring very hard now.
15km to go
Janssens continues at just under two minutes up.
2.5km until Janssens hits the climb, though the road has been pointing uphill for a while already, even if the gradients have been shallow.
Janssens remains two minutes up the road.
12km to go
Still the same mix of teams at the front of the peloton and it's still raining.
The riders begin the climb to the finish now. It's 11.4km at 7.4%.
Hopefully something happens soon!
Now 1:10 for Janssens.
10km to go
A crash in the middle of the peloton holds up a large portion of the group but it looks like everybody is quickly back up and running.
Still no other movement here...
9km to go
Still 1:10 for Janssens.
It looks like helicopter TV coverage is spotty at the moment.
UAE continue to lead ahead of Visma, however.
Splits in the peloton now on the way up.
Just 30 seconds between Janssens and the peloton now.
7km to go
Now a select group forming at the front of the peloton.
Pogačar is on the move.
He attacks from a group containing Almeida, Uijtdebroeks, Landa, Bernal, Martinez, Vlasov, Harper, and Tejada.
Eight riders chasing Pogačar now.
5km to go
Janssens was caught while the TV images were down. Pogačar leads solo.
It's still raining at the top but a small group of hardy fans are up there waiting to see the riders cross the line.
Landa and Martinez are off the front of the chase in pursuit of Pogačar.
The chase now breaking apart. Vlasov joins Landa and Martinez.
Harper, Bernal, and Almeida next on the road.
5km to go
Around 5km to go and Pogačar looks to be around 30 seconds up the road.
A Pogačar win now looking inevitable.
TV pictures continue to drop in and out.
Not long left now, though.
3km to go
Pogačar is well up the road and on the way to his second win of the season.
The chase group is back together once again.
Uijtdebroeks and Tejada are off the rear, however.
Now Martinez tries a move but he's marked by Landa.
2km to go
Pogačar still well out of sight.
Landa on the move now.
Vlasov follows him.
No time gaps at the moment.
And no camera on Pogačar either.
Landa and Vlasov clear of the rest.
Almost five hours done.
Pogačar reportedly over a minute in the lead.
Landa leads Vlasov towards the top.
No idea why the organisers haven't sent a camera moto up to the guy who is leading the race. The conditions are bad but this has been dreadful...
Now Pogačar appears on the static cameras leading up to the finish.
He's inside the final 200 metres...
Finish
Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) wins stage 2 of the Volta a Catalunya
187km of racing and we all knew that result was coming from the start.
Now Landa leads Vlasov towards the line.
Landa leads Vlasov across the line at just over 1:20 down.
A dominant win for Pogačar and it looks like the Volta a Catalunya is as good as over on day two.
Almeida fourth at 1:35. Martinez leads the rest in at 1:41.
Only eight riders finish within two minutes of Pogačar.
Pogačar is the new race leader, obviously.
He's 1:35 up on Landa with Vlasov at 1:38. Almeida at 1:56 is the only other man within two minutes of the overall lead.
Volta a Catalunya: Tadej Pogacar dominates stage 2 seizing overall lead
Mikel Landa takes second, as Aleksandr Vlasov seals third
Pogačar was second yesterday, won today, and there are two more summit finishes left to race here.
It seems that he and Vingegaard will win at will when they start a race without the other also competing. They're so far ahead of anybody else in the peloton.
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Here's a shot of Pogačar crossing the line solo to score the 65th win of his career.
Pogačar leads the overall, points (18) and mountain (29) classifications after two days. Lenny Martinez is the best young rider in fifth overall.
Here's what Pogačar had to say after the finish...
"We started with nice weather, like summer, and then we saw these clouds, and we were thinking that maybe we could survive until the final climb without rain, but unfortunately, it started to rain on the second-to-last climb.
"The conditions were tough; it was a hard climb, and you could feel the altitude, but I'm happy to win"
That's all from us today in Catalunya. Be sure to look out for news coming in from the race later this evening. And we'll be back with more live coverage from this race and the Classic Brugge-De Panne tomorrow±
