Geraint Thomas Comes Home Safely In The Pack In Catalunya

By Gareth James

Geraint Thomas finished safely in the main pack on the opening stage of the Volta a Catalunya in Spain.

Wales’s 2018 Tour de France champ crossed the line with the leading contenders 16 seconds down on stage winner Andrea Kron of Denmark.

Thomas was among a group of riders that briefly opened up a gap on the undulating terrain around 30km from the finish in Calella.

A group of four has escaped and have a 25" lead with after a series of attacks went unrewarded, including @GeraintThomas86 trying to animate the stage.

The Grenadiers have strength numbers as we enter the final 15km #VoltaCatalunya100 pic.twitter.com/RVHeLttqWl

— INEOS Grenadiers (@INEOSGrenadiers) March 22, 2021

But a four man break then opened up a gap with Kron taking the stage spoils and the first leader’s jersey of the race for his Lotto Soudal team.

Thomas, continuing his build-up to June’s Tour de France, is one of three Welsh riders in the race.

Stevie Williams finished in 81st spot, 34 secs down on the stage winner for Team Bahrain Victorious.

Thomas’s Ineos Grenadiers team-mate Luke Rowe, who spent the day supporting his GC contenders, came home 14 mins 34 secs down in 158th place.

This is Thomas’s fourth race of the season. He was 49th at the Etoile de Besseges and 26th at the Tour du Var in February.

Earlier this month he finished 24th at Tirenno-Adriatico in Italy, taking 11th spot on the final stage time trial.

Tuesday’s second stage of the Volta a Catalunya is also an individual time trial which will see a change in the general classification before the race hits the mountains.