Giulio Ciccone (Trek-Segafredo) won a three-way sprint in the first summit finish of the 2023 Volta a Catalunya against Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep).
Stage 1 winner Roglič remains the overall leader after his second place behind Ciccone.
The Italian claimed the victory on the demanding 15-kilometre Vallter climb after Evenepoel launched a series of late accelerations that whittled down the group of favourites to just three riders.
The Belgian’s impressive pace saw Colombian National Champion Esteban Chaves (EF Education-EasyPost) reeled in just 500 metres from the line, but he could not stop Ciccone from claiming his second win of the season.
Although the bulk of the Vallter climb did not see any major attacks by the GC favourites barring a brief, late dig by Mikel Landa (Bahrain Victorious), Evenepoel’s stinging, prolonged acceleration towards the summit proved more than sufficient to blow the remnants of the leading peloton apart.
The World Champion, Roglič and Ciccone crossed the line with an 11-second advantage over a three-strong group of chasers, led home by Landa and with 2021 Vallter winner Adam Yates (UAE Emirates) in fifth. But thanks to the time bonuses for first and second place on stages, Roglic remains in control overall.
