Volta a Catalunya 2021 - Adam Yates: Race is 'not over yet' but Ineos 'have been really strong'
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Updated 28/03/2021 at 10:54 GMT
Ineos Grenadiers hold all three of the podium places going into the seventh and final stage of the Volta a Catalunya. Richie Porte holds second and Geraint Thomas is in third, however Adam Yates has warned his team that there could be plenty of challenges to come on a difficult final stage with six ascents to combat.
Yates: There will be attacks, but we are strong
Ineos Grenadiers rider Adam Yates has warned against complacency on the final day of the Volta a Catalunya.
The Briton believes that there could be late challenges from the chasing pack on Stage 7 at the Montjuic circuit. On Saturday he finished in 20th place on Stage 6, allowing him to keep hold of the lead he took on Wednesday.
The Montjuic course offers six climbs which should prove a challenging finale, and he is wary of giving away any opportunities.
“It’s still not over, tomorrow’s [Sunday’s] stage is real tough and for sure a lot of people will want to try because it’s the last chance,” Yates said.
We’ll try and keep everything under control, the guys have been really strong up to now, and we’ll see how it goes.
Yates explained why the day’s course is so tough, saying: “It’s kind of relentless, you go up the climb, down a tricky descent and there’s no real time to recover because you’re already back onto the climb again.
“It’s a real tough circuit, I’ve done it before so I know how hard it is.”
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Highlights: Volta a Catalunya Stage 6 - Sagan takes win as Yates holds GC
Yates won the Volta in 2019, but in 2018 Ineos, then racing under Sky branding, saw Colombian Egan Bernal crash when in second place overall and losing his place entirely.
The team have fared better so far this race, making up each of the podium places. Behind Yates in second is Richie Porte, and veteran Geraint Thomas is offering support in third.
Yates told the press that the previous stage had allowed the team to hold in position rather than exert themselves too much.
“It was good, the first day we didn’t have to work or pull or do anything, just had to stay in position,” he said.
“It was a welcome rest, because the last few days have been tough and we needed to save all the energy we could for Sunday.”
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