2022 Volta a Catalunya – Stage 5 Preview

By @EchelonsHub

The queen stage delivered the spectacle on the final climb, as João Almeida took a strong win in the final sprint beating Nairo Quintana and Sergio Higuita. The trio stood out as the strongest after the crucial attacks inside the final three kilometers, and now with Quintana leading with the same time as Almeida, the race will be furious into the final days of racing.

Positive: Both Almeida and Quintana performing very well and jumping into stage win and race lead, they will now battle for every possible second on the road. Torstein Traeen finishing 11th is a surprise, another card for Uno-X’s future.

Negative: Simon Yates abandoning. Kruijswijk, Woods, Ciccone and Valverde from within the favourites had a bad day.

The Route

With 208 kilometers, this is the longest stage in the race. Is it a day suited to a breakaway? Perhaps, there is a climb near the start which will not be easy to control, with 7.2 kilometers at 5.2%, and a general downhill tilt to the stage. 

Besides this hilly start though, there will be no other point in the stage where the fast men may struggle. It will be a long transition back into the Mediterranean. The finale will be in Vilanova I La Geltrú, and it should be a regular sprint finish, without too many difficulties, that will see the best take the win.

The Weather

Strong eastern wind. This will harm the breakaway’s chances quite a lot, but also see crosswinds as a possibility for the day. Rain is unlikely but the wind will create a lot of tension. The finale should be rather hidden, but possible with a cross-headwind.

Breakaway chances: 15%

It will be complicated. It’s not a bad day for an escapee group to succeed, however the wind will make it hard and there will be at least two teams with the ambitions into what will be the final sprint stage.

The Favourites

Kaden Groves – He has taken the second stage bunch sprint and will be looking to take another win. BikeExchange should have the leadout now that Yates is no longer in the race.

Phil Bauhaus – Bauhaus has no leadout, however few teams do so it shouldn’t be too hard of a task to enter the sprint In good position. He will be looking to repeat his win of Tirreno-Adriatico.

Hugo Hofstetter – His best opportunities are behind, however Hofstetter will have another opportunity to battle it out in a sprint.

Juan Sebastian Molano – The team will be focusing on protection of João Almeida, and it’s a team mainly of climbers. Not a good situation for Molano, but like Bauhaus he shouldn’t struggle too much to be in position for the sprint.

Ethan Vernon, David Dekker, Manuel Peñalver, Martin Laas and Francisco Galván will be further outsiders for the final sprint. Besides Dekker – who is not in form – the others are in a level inferior to the Top4, but they can get strong results in this field.

Inside The Bus

This morning I talk to…

#73 Attila Valter – Stay conservative Attila, stage six and seven will be days for a breakaway likely and there we attack as the GC expectations are gone.

#75 Rudy Molard – Rudy, read above.

#213 Fernando Barceló – There’s no specific goal for the stage, so you can try to get In the breakaway. Who knows a break may succeed, it’s an important race so we’ll have to give it a shot and also get some TV time.

Prediction Time

⭐⭐⭐Groves, Bauhaus

⭐⭐Molano, Hofstetter

⭐Dekker, Vernon, Laas, Galvan, Peñalver

I feel like Kaden Groves will take another win. The sprint favoured Bauhaus on stage two yet Groves took it, here I think he will have a win that won’t be as close.

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