The Portuguese is seventh overall with one stage to go.
For the third consecutive day, Rémi Cavagna tried to book a place in the Volta a Catalunya breakaway, but despite his valiant effort in the opening 30 kilometers of the race, he was denied the chance to feature at the front by a ruthless peloton who had other plans for the stage that featured two classified climbs and a brief venture on the Circuit de Catalunya.
After the first hour of racing, a five-man breakaway slipped clear, but they lived on borrowed time from the very beginning, so it came as no surprise when were brought back before the last ascent, Alt El Collet. That was where the fun started, and one by one, James Knox, Rémi Cavagna and Josef Cerny all went on the attack in the last 15 kilometers, riding flat out and applying pressure on the peloton, but the race came back each time and headed towards a mass gallop in Mataro.
Guided by the experienced Dries Devenyns, who remained calm in the hectic finale, João Almeida came across the line in eighth place and kept hold of the white-and-orange jersey, which he has a solid chance of taking home together with a top 10 finish in the GC on Sunday afternoon, when the traditional circuit in Montjuic will draw the curtain over the 100th edition of the Volta a Catalunya.
Photo credit: ©David Ramos/Getty Images
