After the first climb of the day, the wind shook the pack hard. A group of 19 split from the pack, including GC riders Simon Yates (BikeExchange) and Michael Woods (Israel Premier Tech).
In the 2nd group the riders had to work hard to close the gap and they succeeded. After 2 of the 3 climbs, the peloton went looking for the last climb of the day together.
After the wind, Jonathan Caceido (EF-EasyPost) caused danger. He ran off alone, but later Pieter Serry (Quick Step-Alpha Vinyl) and 4 others made the crossing.
The weather gods were not in favor of the pack today. With the final climb in sight, the heavens opened. The slippery roads made for a dangerous descent, but Dylan Teuns didn’t care much about that. Our compatriot took the lead of the pack and picked up the pace in height.
Due to the hard work of Teuns and Jumbo-Visma, the front runners were caught less than 10 kilometers from the finish. No wind, rain or leading group stood in the way of a sprint.
Sonny Colbrelli and Michael Matthews advanced and got ready for a sprint. The ascending arrival was made for them.
Things looked good for Colbrelli for a long time, but Matthews had the best final shot in the opening stage. In 2019 he already won in Sant Feliu de Guíxols. Colbrelli was 2nd and Quentin Pacher (Groupama-FDJ) completed it podium.
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In 2019 Michael Matthews already won in Sant Feliu de Guíxols. “I know the finish from 3 years ago. To win here again now means a lot to me. It has also been a long time since I won a race,” says Matthews after the stage.
His last win was in August 2020. When he won the Brittany Classic.
“The course was right for me, a hard race and an ascending finish. The team did a good job. When the peloton was torn to pieces by the wind, we decided to save our strength for the final.”
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