Primoz Roglic wins Volta a Catalunya title as late charge denies Juan Ayuso

Primoz Roglic made a late charge to take the lead from local favourite Juan Ayuso and win the Volta a Catalunya for a second time on Sunday.

A four-time Vuelta a España champion, Roglic (Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe) prevailed in the final 20 kilometers to win the decisive 88km (54-mile) seventh stage in Barcelona and clinch the overall title, denying Ayuso victory in the city of his birth.

UAE Team Emirates’ Ayuso had entered the final day in the lead following a sixth stage that was shortened because of extreme wind. He ended 28 seconds behind Roglic in second place, and 53 seconds in front of another Spaniard, Enric Mas of Movistar, who finished third.

“Beautiful, I had great fun here,” said 2023 Volta winner Roglic, who will now turn his focus to preparing for this year’s Giro d’Italia, which begins on 9 May. “I’m ready, the legs are ready so I was pretty much enjoying this week.”

Mikel Landa (Soudal-QuickStep) finished fourth in the general classification, with France’s Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious) in fifth place. Laurens De Plus (Ineos Grenadiers) was sixth overall after finishing second to Roglic on Sunday’s stage.

Britain’s Simon Yates finished eighth in the final stage, 19 seconds behind Roglic, and ninth in the general classification, one minute 46 seconds adrift of the winner.