Volta a Catalunya 2015 – Stage 6 Preview

By David Hunter

Cervera – Port Aventura 194.1km

After the crazy stage 5, the peloton will all be looking forward to a quieter day. We have two categorised climbs: Alt de Prades and Alt del Coll Roig. The cat 1 climb is 11km at 4% and the cat 3 climb is 3.7km at 5%. It crests 36.5km from the end of the race, so shouldn’t pose too much of a problem.

If the teams want to continue making the race very difficult, they could race up the cat 1 climb, but the most likely scenario, in this type of stage, is a small break and a bunch sprint.

There hasn’t been any opportunities for the recognised sprinters yet and they would love just one chance. Stage 7 is not for them either, so it’s either stage 6 or a frustrating race.

The biggest problem for them is the wind. We have very strong crosswinds forecast. After today, not something the riders will enjoy. It also means the GC riders have to be vigilant and also race at the front. The wind does look strong enough to destroy the race.

If we get a sprint, then Luca Mezgec has to be the big favourite. He’s started to find his legs, after enduring a frustrating spell. He’s the fastest here, by a distance, and should start the stage as the overwhelming favourite.

The Lotto boys are tired and it’ll depend who feels the best at the end of the day. They have Henderson, Vallee and Van Der Sande. Etixx will look to Alaphilippe and Europcar have Coquard. These are the top sprinters.

Prediction Time

The wind does look very strong! Expect more chaos and a crazy day in the saddle. Picking a winner is almost impossible. I have to, so I’ll go with JJ Rojas.

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