Calm start in Calella
24 March 2014

Volta a Catalunya (st. 1)

Quintana & full Movistar Team into main bunch as 2014 Volta starts with completely opposite finish to last year's race; Mezgec (GIA) victorious in mass sprint

In a completely different outcome to what Calella witnessed on stage one’s finish in 2013, the 94th edition of the Volta a Catalunya brought serenity to the Movistar Team all over the 169km route in around the coastal town in the Maresme region. The telephone squad assisted Nairo Quintana swiftly wherever he needed, the Colombian coming into the Catalan stagerace after his 2nd place overall in Tirreno-Adriatico and following a recon of the most significant stages in the Giro d’Italia, accompanied by Jonathan Castroviejo.

Despite attacks into the difficult descent of the Collsacreu (Cat-3), the last one -by Wilco Kelderman (BEL) caught with just 3km from the finish, the bunch came almost complete across the finish as Luka Mezgec (GIA) beat Leigh Howard (OGE) in the mass sprint. With no gaps whatsoever, all eight riders from the Movistar Team will start day two in Catalonia -168km between Mataró and Girona, with no major difficulties- willing to keep focus en route to the mountains on Wednesday and Thursday.