Andrea Bagioli came close to a podium finish in Barcelona.
Lots of rain, sketchy roads and neutralizations at the last Grand Tour of the season due to the harsh weather conditions, which forced the organisers to take the GC time at nine kilometers to go on the second stage of the race. The bonifications were left in place at the top of the Montjuic and on the line in Barcelona, but the red jersey favourites decided not to take any unnecessary risks on the wed roads and the tricky descent to the finish.
This didn’t mean that Soudal Quick-Step wasn’t prominent, Andrea Bagioli – winner of the Barcelona stage at last year’s Volta a Catalunya – booking a place in the reduced small group which made it over the top of the climb. Andreas Kron (Lotto-Dstny) sailed to victory, while the young Italian finished only a few seconds behind in fourth place.
The 24-year-old from Sondrio is now our team’s highest-ranked in the general classification ahead of the race’s first summit finish, in Andorra, where a major shake-up of the rankings should take place.
Photo credit: ©Alexander Hassenstein / Getty Images
