Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) has won the penultimate stage of the Volta a Catalunya.
The Olympic road race champion sprinted clear of the peloton within the last kilometre of the 169.4km stage from Sant Fruitós de Bages to the Badalona Centre.
Sanchez used the slight hill on the run in to the finish as a spring board for his attack, which survived to the finish despite a later admission from the Spaniard that he nearly crashed.
The 34-year-old ascribed his victory to good physical condition, the result, he said, of hard training.
“I worked harder than ever. When you get older, you have to work harder and harder. Every day I have been feeling better and tried to seek victory in all my opportunities,” said Sanchez.
The Spaniard’s victory lifts him to second on general classification, 1.30 down on double stage winner, Michael Albasini (GreenEDGE).
Sanchez’ ascendancy comes at the expense of Ireland’s Dan Martin (Garmin-Barracuda) who is fourth overall on the same time as third placed Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Lotto-Belisol).
Team Sky’s Rigoberto Uran, one of just three members of the British team left in the race, remains fifth overall.
Uran’s directeur sportif, Sean Yates, paid tribute to the Spanish veteran’s triumph and predicted that Sanchez would attempt a second stage win on tomorrow’s 119.8km final stage from the Badona Centre to Barcelona.
“Hat’s off to Sanchez. That was a pretty ballsy move. He’s been trying for the past few days so fair play to him.
“Tomorrow is going to be a downhill sprint. I’m sure Sanchez is going to go for the victory again. It’s going to be pretty hairy but Rigo is good downhill. Obviously there is a climb just before that but I’d like to think he can hold on to fifth place and we’ll see what the points score is.”
Team Sky’s eight-strong contingent was reduced to three men by illness and the abandonment on stage three of Bradley Wiggins, Ritchie Porte, and Kanstantsin Siutsou in treacherous conditions.
Yates said: “It’s a funny old race with the decisive stage being early on, but then being cancelled. It was tough luck for the organisers again today with the accident. Luckily it didn’t seem too serious but we had to stop for half an hour. But the weather has been beautiful the last few days and the one day it was awful was during the queen stage!”
Volta a Catalunya stage six – result
1) Samuel Sanchez (SPA) – Euskaltel-Euskadi – 4:04.50
2) Allan Davis (AUS) – GreenEDGE + 2”
3) Julien Simon (FRA) – Saur-Sojasun
4) Juan José Haedo (ARG) – Team Saxo Bank
5) Damiano Cunego (ITA) – Lampre-ISD
6) Francesco Gavazzi (ITA) – Astana
7) Fabio Sabatini (ITA) – Liquigas-Cannondale
8) Daniel Martin (IRL) – Garmin-Barracuda
9) Davide Appollonio (ITA) – Team Sky
10) Jurgen Van Den Broeck (BEL) – Lotto Belisol
Volta a Catalunya – general classification
1) Michael Albasini (SUI) – GreenEDGE – 21:28.43
2) Samuel Sanchez (SPA) – Euskaltel-Euskadi + 1.30
3) Jurgen Van Den Broeck (BEL) – Lotto Belisol +1.32
4) Daniel Martin (IRL) – Garmin-Barracuda
5) Rigoberto Uran Uran (COL) – Team Sky
6) Damiano Cunego (ITA) – Lampre-ISD
7) Sergio Pardilla (SPA) – Movistar Team
8) Robert Kiserlovski (CRO) – Astana
9) Dario Cataldo (ITA) – Omega Pharma-QuickStep
10) Matteo Carrara (ITA) – Vacansoleil-DCM
