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Quinn Simmons secured his first WorldTour victory in nearly two years with a bold and aggressive ride on stage six of the Volta a Catalunya. The American rider, a former US champion, made a decisive move in the final kilometer of the stage, powering up the concluding ramp to claim the win. He narrowly held off Pavel Bittner (Team Picnic PostNL), who finished second, with the rest of the peloton trailing two seconds behind. Simmons, who lives in Girona, Spain, described the victory as particularly special, as his family was watching from home, and his girlfriend and brother would be at the finish line for the final stage.
The stage, originally planned as one of the toughest of the race with multiple climbs, including the hors categorie Coll de Pradell and a summit finish at Queralt, was significantly altered due to extreme winds. The dangerous conditions forced organizers to neutralize the race until the final 30 kilometers, leading to a flatter and shorter route than anticipated. Simmons admitted that he initially voted against starting the stage due to the wind but was ultimately glad he did, as it resulted in his first WorldTour win.
The race dynamics shifted dramatically after the neutralization ended, with a flurry of attacks in the final kilometers. Simmons, who had been at the back of the peloton removing his leg warmers, had to chase back to the front group. He bridged across to a breakaway that included Wout Poels (XDS Astana Team) and Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) before launching his winning move with 1 kilometer to go. Simmons described the day as “the strangest of his career,” with multiple changes to the race plan and a chaotic finale.
In the general classification, overnight leader Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) maintained his one-second advantage over Primož Roglič (Red Bull Bora-Hansgrohe). The stage’s neutralization and the cancellation of time bonuses meant the GC battle remained unchanged, setting the stage for a potentially thrilling finale in Barcelona on Sunday. Simmons, who had initially targeted the final stage as his main objective, expressed satisfaction with his early success and hinted at further attacks on the final day.
The penultimate stage had been highly anticipated as a decisive showdown between Ayuso and Roglič, but the extreme weather conditions forced organizers to make significant changes. The original route, featuring over 4,000 meters of climbing, was first shortened by removing the Coll de Pradell due to high winds. Further adjustments were made on the morning of the race, with the remaining climbs also scrapped, leaving a flat 146-kilometer route with two laps of a circuit in Berga. Both Ayuso and Roglič expressed disappointment at the changes but acknowledged the importance of rider safety.
Ayuso, who has been locked in a tight battle with Roglič throughout the race, described the situation as confusing, with multiple changes to the stage plan. He emphasized that while he would have preferred a hard stage, he understood the decision to prioritize safety given the extreme wind conditions. Roglič echoed these sentiments, stating that safety was the most important consideration.
The race began as planned but was neutralized early on due to the dangerous winds, which reportedly exceeded 100 km/h on the abandoned climbs. The altered stage ultimately provided an opportunity for riders like Simmons to shine, while the GC contenders conserved their energy for the final day. The concluding stage in Barcelona is expected to be a fast and aggressive race, with Ayuso and Roglič’s one-second gap likely to be the focus of intense competition. Simmons, buoyed by his stage win, will look to play a role in the finale as well.
