While he was ten seconds behind Primoz Roglic at the start of the last stage of the Tour of Catalonia, Remco Evenepoel failed to unclamp the Slovenian this Sunday around Barcelona, even if he won the stage. The Jumbo-Visma rider therefore wins his second one-week race of the season.
For a week, we only saw them, and it was them again who animated the last kilometers of this last stage of the Tour of Catalonia! Primoz Roglic and Remco Evenepoel were clearly above the rest during this 2023 edition, and in the end, the Slovenian won the general classification with a six-second lead over the Belgian, winner of the last stage. Ten seconds separated the two men before this Sunday stage around Barcelona, marked by six ascents of the famous Montjuic hill in the last 40 kilometers. Remco Evenepoel was the first of the two cadors to attack, 28 kilometers from the finish, but Primoz Roglic, who had remained in his wheel all day, followed him without any problemand the Belgian never managed to unclamp the Slovenian until the end.
The world champion offered himself the stage victory (the 40th victory of his career, at the age of 23!) and the ten bonus seconds, but the three-time winner of the Vuelta arrived just behind and took six seconds from bonus. Primoz Roglic therefore wins the Tour of Catalonia 2023, thus signing the 72nd victory of his career, at 33, and his second victory in a one-week race this year, after Tirreno-Adriatico. Both men won all the distinctive jerseys this week, proof of their great dominance. This promises a lot for the Giro in May, where they will both be favorites!
Lenny Martinez best Frenchman
If Remco Evenepoel finished with the best climber’s jersey, Guillaume Martin did everything to prevent him until the end. The Frenchman slipped into the breakaway of the day, which included eight other riders (including Richard Carapaz and Geoffrey Bouchard) in order to collect as many points as possible, but he was caught, like his friends, about thirty kilometers away. of the finish, just before Evenepoel launched hostilities. The best Frenchman of this Tour of Catalonia is called Lenny Martinez, who finished twelfth at 4’25 behind Roglic. At only 19 years old, the son of Miguel, Olympic mountain bike champion in 2000, has set a date for the future!
WORLD TOUR / CATALONIA TOUR (SPAIN)
Classification of the 7th stage (Barcelona-Barcelona, 135.8km) – Sunday March 26, 2023
1- Remco Evenepoel (BEL/Soudal-Quick Step) and 2h59’24
2- Primoz Roglic (SLO/Jumbo-Visma) mt
3- Marc Soler (ESP/Movistar) at 53″
4- Corbin Strong (NZL/Israel-Premier Tech) at 58″
5- Giulio Ciccone (ITA/Trek-Segafredo) at 58″
6- Andreas Kron (AND/Lotto Etc.) à 58″
7- Mikel Landa (ESP/Bahrain Victorious) at 58″
8- David De La Cruz (ESP/Astana Qazakstan) at 58″
9- Koen Bouwman (PBS/Jumbo-Visma) at 58″
10- Oscar Onley (GBR/DSM) at 58″
11- Louis Barré (FRA / Arkéa-Samsic) at 58″
…
Final general classification
1- Primoz Roglic (SLO/Jumbo-Visma) a 28h19″10
2- Remco Evenepoel (BEL/Soudal-Quick Step) à 6″
3- João Almeida (POR/UAE Team Emirates) at 2’11
4- Marc Soler (ESP/Movistar) at 2’49
5- Mikel Landa (ESP/Bahrain Victorious) at 2’59
6- Michael Woods (CAN/Israel-Premier Tech) at 3’03
7- Giulio Ciccone (ITA/Trek-Segafredo) at 3’06
8- Jai Hindley (AUS/Bora-Hansgrohe) at 3’11
9- Cian Uijtdebroecks (BEL/Bora-Hansgrohe) from 3’32
10- Rigoberto Uran (COL/EF Education-EasyPost) 3:53
…
12- Lenny Martinez (FRA/Cofidis) at 4’25
…
