Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team controlled the race the moment a three rider breakaway, which had a gap of more than seven minutes at one point, was caught at the 119km point of Volta a Catalunya Stage 2.
Levi Leipheimer, who sat just 1'32" outside the general classification lead going into the 161km loop stage from Girona to Girona on Tuesday, was well protected by the team. However, it was Dario Cataldo's turn to contest a stage victory in the final meters. He was at the front of a 20-plus rider front split as they negotiated a fast and technical descent following category 1 climb Alt Dels Àngels. The front group chased down three attacking riders, including Damiano Cunego (Lampre), Daniel Martin (Garmin-Barracuda) and Matteo Cararra (Vacansoleil) with less than 3km remaining. Cataldo did his best to earn another victory for Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team this season, but could not outsprint Michael Albasini (GreenEDGE). Cataldo beat Rigoberto Uran (Team Sky) to earn 2nd place on the day.
"During the descent, part of the job for Levi was to go a little bit fast," Cataldo said. "The last 2km I was finding the right wheel to stick to for the sprint. I was looking for Wiggins and Uran in front, looking to follow them to stay in the right position. The problem was the last 400 meters — from 500 meters to 300 meters — the speed was going a bit lower. So guys who were coming from the back were more fast. When Albasini started, for me the speed was a bit too low. I tried to follow, but I was too late. He went too fast and too early for me to catch him. I did the best I could. I was in the right place, and the right position, but I was not thinking the speed could go lower. Sometimes you must also be lucky. If the speed was higher in front of me to pull the sprint, for sure when I start not many could pass me in the last 150 meters. But this situation, it is always difficult."
Leipheimer finished 23rd in the stage, with the front split. He now stands in 24th place in the GC, but still just 1'32" back.
"We did the best for our main job, which was to protect Levi," Cataldo said. "Tomorrow is the most important race, and today it was to be in the front for the last kilometers. We did it, and we did a really great job. In the last 3 kilometers, we were in the small peloton and I had a talk with Levi. We decided to let me do the sprint. So I tried, and was pretty fast with a small group. But after climbs like those, I was already a bit tired. I found the right position, but the legs were already a bit tired. It's all the small things — together you can win or lose the sprint. But we did a great job with our main goal, and if we could have won also today it would have been really great. But it's still a good result. The bigger goal is for tomorrow with Levi."
