"It's disrespectful, some cyclists haven't been up to the task": Wind causes chaos at the Volta

BarcelonaThe wind left cycling fans who had filled the roads of Berguedà feeling the pinch. The warning for strong gusts turned the queen stage of the Vuelta a Catalunya into a rather uninteresting day, with a flurry of negotiations between the organizers and the cyclists over what to do. In the end, there was no ascent to the Pradell pass or the final climb to the Queralt sanctuary. Only one 73-kilometer stage was completed, although 48 kilometers were neutralized without bonuses, and time was stopped 5 kilometers from the finish. American Quinn Simmons (Lidl Trek) emerged victorious in this chaotic stage. It should have been the day to see Juan Ayuso (UAE) and Primož Roglič (Red Bull) battle it out for the title on the slopes of Queralt, but the fans had to settle for a few final kilometers in Berga.

However, bad luck has created a scripted ending to the Volta that promises to be historic, adding even more interest to this Sunday's final stage. The traditional Montjuïc finish will decide the winner of one of the most closely contested general classifications of all time, with Ayuso in first place, just a second ahead of Slovenian Roglič. Mallorcan Enric Mas (Movistar) is third, 21 seconds behind, also in contention.

The Berguedà stage was supposed to be a big celebration. For the second year in a row, Berga has made a strong commitment to hosting the start of a stage that climbed the region's most iconic peaks. Last year, thousands of people had already enjoyed Tadej Pogačar's exhibition, and this year marked the 50th anniversary of Eddy Merckx's triumph in a climbing time trial during the Catalan Week. The atmosphere was ideal, but it was already clear last night that the weather wasn't going to be conducive. Following the authorities' recommendations, the organizers had decided to shorten the stage by forgoing the climb to the Pradell Pass, a special category pass. Already yesterday, Friday, some riders had complained about the strong wind, and the forecast indicated that the gusts would be even stronger today, Saturday. Two hours before the start, the cancellation of the climb to the final pass of Queralt was announced, and 35 minutes before the starting gun, details of the modified 146-kilometer route were revealed, starting and finishing in Berga and without any mountain passes. The idea was to cover this distance by completing two laps of a circuit, with the first lap neutralized, with no time counting toward the overall standings. But there was no consensus among the riders. Some, like Juan Ayuso, believed it was still possible to compete. "It's still possible to ride, the organizers have changed the route, and what we have now is safe, we can compete, but some haven't wanted to," said the rider, born in Barcelona but raised in the Valencian Community, with a concerned expression.

Others, however, weren't up for the effort. In the end, a third route modification was agreed upon. After riding 40 neutral kilometers, Roglič headed to the commissaires' car, a meeting in which Catalan Marc Soler (UAE) was also very active. The final decision was to eliminate the intermediate sprint, stop the overall time 5 kilometers from the finish, and eliminate the second lap of the circuit. Rubén Peris, director of the Volta, explained: "In the end, we agreed that we would do a first reconnaissance lap and then a second one during the race, but halfway through the first, they said they were stopping and that we should go to the finish line and the stage was over. I'm very upset, as they are, that some riders today, not all, weren't up to scratch." He then thanked riders such as Enric Mas (Movistar), Carlos Verona (Lidl Trek), and Omar Fraile (Ineos Grenadiers), who had wanted to start the stage, for their collaboration. The stage has been reduced to a route of approximately 25 kilometers, with no neutralization and no bonuses for the top three. With one kilometer to go, Quinn Simmons launched a fierce attack that would prove decisive in winning a stage in which, at times, the most exciting aspect was watching the negotiations to decide what to do.

The Queralt stage was wiped out by the strong wind. If this is the downside, the upside is knowing that this Sunday the Volta will experience one of its most exciting conclusions of all time, with two riders separated by one second before a stage that a few days ago also saw its route shortened due to the clash with the Barça-Girona La Liga match. The 88 kilometers, the final six laps of the traditional Montjuïc circuit, will decide the winner of the 104th edition of the race. The bonuses of 10, 6, and 4 seconds for the top three finishers in the stage could be crucial.

Ayuso, 22, will be looking for his third major victory, after winning the Tour of the Basque Country in 2024 and the Tirrè-Adriàtic a few weeks ago. And it would be in the city where he was born, although he barely lived there. Roglič, 35, is aiming to win the Catalan race for the second time, having already achieved it in 2023. If he wins, it would be the third consecutive victory for a Slovenian in the Volta, since a year ago the winner was Tadej Pogačar, who did enter Barcelona calmly after this year's final stage will be different.