The first and only time that Roglic rode the Volta, he finished second in the last stage, ending at Montjuïc. At that time, in 2017, he had just turned professional and only had 6 victories, none in important races. From that moment on, the Slovenian would put on the great champion’s suit. More than 70 wins between Tour de France, Tour of Spain and other glamorous races have made him one of the best in the world. Six years later, in a very carat cycling Volta a Catalunya, he finished second in the stage again, but this time he received the laurels of the champion.
Until the last meter of the last stage. Without leaving a single gram of energy inside the body. Showing passion and anger in equal measure. And with a very celebrated victory in Barcelona. This is how Remco Evenepoel, second in the race, said goodbye to Catalunya, who was the great protagonist due to his courage and nonconformity. Major tactical errors, such as celebrating prematurely on the only day he managed to unbolt Roglic from his wheel at La Molina, or attacking too early at Lo Port, caused him to lose the race. In Barcelona, ??where he once again turned the competition upside down, Roglic recognized his courage and did not contest the stage. Both have won two victories each and two jerseys (champion and regular Roglic and mountain and best young Evenepoel).
The public of the city of Barcelona recognized that what they experienced throughout this week has been simply extraordinary and they took to Montjuïc as it hadn’t happened in years to receive the end of a Volta that has exceeded all expectations. A race that has exquisitely mixed the hardness of the route with the talent of the protagonists. All this crowned by the fratricidal duel for the triumph of two committed champions.
Nine men tried to make a breakaway reach the finish line on the last day. But Verona, Martin, Bizkarra, Bouchard, Carapaz, Hayter, De la Cruz, Carr and Grmay were no more than a minute and a half ahead. His adventure would end when 28 minutes from the finish line Evenepoel uncovered the box of thunder for the umpteenth time. At his wheel were Roglic and Marc Soler, who aspired to both win the stage and the podium.
As in previous days, Evenepeol did not cease its push and on each ascent of the seven that were made to Montjuïc it tried to drop Roglic, although the one who hurt the most was Soler. On this occasion, the Slovenian was more cooperative to open a gap with his rivals and already at the finish line he decided to recognize the Belgian’s merit by letting him win the last stage.
Roglic arrived in Catalonia with only seven days of competition this year, which he played in the Tirreno-Adriatico. Without so much competition, he dominated the race of the two seas with sufficiency. With Evenepoel in the race, things have been very different, but despite all the harshness imposed by his rival, he managed to tame the Belgian champion, who six months earlier had left him without the Tour of Spain. But this has only just begun. Both have met to play a Giro d’Italia, in which the show will not be in discussion.
