2012 Volta a Catalunya

2012 Volta a Catalunya 2012 UCI World Tour 5 28 Volta_a_Catalunya_2012.png The route of the 2012 Volta a Catalunya 300px 19–25 March 2012 6The Volta a Catalunya was reduced from 7 stages over 1206.1 km due to the shortening – and later neutralising of the results – of Stage 3. 995.2 km 24h 15' 45"http://www.edosof.com/2012/volta/resulta/libro-etapa7.pdf PDF 25 March 2012 25 March 2012 Edosof AS&A "Volta" Ciclista a Catalunya A.E.: General Individual Después de la Etapa 7ª es Volta a Catalunya: General Individual Ranking After Stage 7 https://web.archive.org/web/20150512221348/http://www.edosof.com/2012/volta/resulta/libro-etapa7.pdf 2015-05-12 dead Michael Albasini GEC 2012a Switzerland green lines volta Samuel Sánchez EUS 2012 Spain Jurgen Van den Broeck LTB 2012 Belgium Chris Anker Sørensen SAX 2012a Denmark red Tomasz Marczyński VCD 2012 Poland white GRM 2012a 2011 2013 The 2012 Volta a Catalunya was the 92nd running of the Volta a Catalunya cycling stage race. It started on 19 March in Calella and ended on 25 March in Barcelona, and consisted of seven stages. It was the fifth race of the 2012 UCI World Tour season. The race was won by Switzerland's Michael Albasini of GEC 2012a,http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/25032012/58/albasini-takes-win-catalunya.html Albasini takes win in Catalunya Yahoo! Eurosport TF1 Group 25 March 2012 25 March 2012 after winning the first two stages of the race and maintained his advantage all the way to the end of the race. Albasini won the general classification by 90 seconds over runner-up Samuel Sánchez of the EUS 2012 team. Third place was taken by LTB 2012's Jurgen Van den Broeck, after thirteen riders finished the race with a deficit of 92 seconds to Albasini; Van Den Broeck recorded the lowest cumulative score for his stage positions, and as a result, was placed highest of the group of riders. In the race's other classifications, Tomasz Marczyński of VCD 2012 won the white jersey for the most points gained in intermediate sprints, while SAX 2012a rider Chris Anker Sørensen won the King of the Mountains classification, and GRM 2012a finished at the head of the teams classification. Teams As the Volta a Catalunya was a UCI World Tour event, all 18 UCI ProTeams were invited automatically and obligated to send a squad. Five other squads were given wildcard places into the race,http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/stellar-field-set-to-race-in-the-volta-a-catalunya Stellar field set to race in the Volta a Catalunya Cycling News 18 March 2012 19 March 2012 and as such, formed the event's 23-team peloton. The 23 teams that competed in the race were:http://www.voltacatalunya.cat/ca/noticia/2012-03-06/76/ ca 23 equips participaran a la Volta 2012 23 teams will participate in the Tour 2012 Volta a Catalunya Ciclista a Catalunya Associació Esportiva 6 March 2012 19 March 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20150705223702/http://www.voltacatalunya.cat/ca/noticia/2012-03-06/76/ 5 July 2015 dead 22em ALM 2012 AST 2012 BMC 2012 EUS 2012 FDJ 2012 GRM 2012a GEC 2012a KAT 2012 LAM 2012 LIQ 2012 LTB 2012 MOV 2012 OPQ 2012 RAB 2012 RNT 2012 SAX 2012a SKY 2012 VCD 2012 ACG 2012 CJR 2012 COF 2012 SUN 2012a SAU 2012 Route +Stage characteristics and winnershttps://www.bikeraceinfo.com/stageraces/Catalonia/catalonia-2012.html 2012 Volta a Catalunya (World Tour), Spain BikeRaceInfo 13 February 2020https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/volta-a-catalunya-2012/ Volta a Catalunya 2012 Cycling News 13 February 2020 Stage Date Course Distance Type Winner 1 19 March Calella to Calella 138.9 km 1 on Michael Albasini SUI 2 20 March Girona to Girona 161 km 1 on Michael Albasini SUI 3 21 March La Vall d'en Bas to Canturri ca 154.2 km 1 on 20px|alt=|link= Mountain stage Janez Brajkovič SLO 4 22 March Tremp to Ascó 199 km 1 on Rigoberto Urán COL 5 23 March Ascó to Manresa 207.1 km 1 on Julien Simon FRA 6 24 March Sant Fruitós de Bages to Badalona 169.4 km 1 on Samuel Sánchez ESP 7 25 March Badalona to Barcelona 119.8 km 1 on Julien Simon FRA Stages Stage 1 19 March 2012 — Calella to Calella, 138.9 km 1 onhttp://www.cyclingnews.com/races/volta-a-catalunya-2012/stage-1 Stage 1 Preview Cycling News 19 March 2012 19 March 2012 27 April 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120427043155/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/volta-a-catalunya-2012/stage-1 dead Following an early, yet unsuccessful, attack from Cédric Pineau of FDJ 2012, a quintet of riders – GEC 2012a's Michael Albasini, ALM 2012 rider Ben Gastauer, Timmy Duggan of LIQ 2012, COF 2012's Nicolas Edet and SAU 2012 rider Anthony Delaplace – made the primary breakaway from the field, just as they moved into the village of Arbúcies for the first intermediate sprint of the race.http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/11409/Michael-Albasini-solos-to-Volta-a-Catalunya-opener.aspx Michael Albasini solos to Volta a Catalunya opener Ben Atkins VeloNation 19 March 2012 19 March 2012 The five riders managed to extend their advantage over the main field to in excess of six minutes at one point during the stage,http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/volta-a-catalunya-2012/stage-1/results Albasini wins stage one of the Volta a Catalunya Cycling News 19 March 2012 19 March 2012 which was run in largely dry conditions apart from the second categorised climb – of three during the stage – of the first-category Coll Formic, where the riders were met by wet conditions with hail also falling.http://www.sportinglife.com/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=cycling/12/03/19/manual_180413.html&BID= Albasini prevails in Spain 19 March 2012 19 March 2012 Sporting Life 365 Media Group Ltd. The breakaway's advantage had been cut to around three and a half minutes as the main field moved over the climb at Coll Formic, but the quintet managed to put more time into the pack, after their pace relented slightly. Their gap almost topped four minutes once again, before AST 2012 and the MOV 2012 forced the cause from the field, and again the time between the groups dwindled. By the time that the field had reached the final climb of the day, the Alt de Collsacreu. At this moment, Albasini stepped up his pace,http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/19032012/58/albasini-wins-opening-stage-catalunya.html Albasini wins opening stage in Catalunya Yahoo! Eurosport TF1 Group 19 March 2012 19 March 2012 soloed off the front of the gruppetto and quickly distanced himself from his four companions, who had split into two groups of two riders. At first, Delaplace and Edet tried to stay with Albasini, but could not; while Duggan and Gastauer decided not to follow the French duo, and would try to fend off the main field if they could. RNT 2012 picked up the reins on the front of the peloton, and looked to close in on Duggan and Gastauer, who had fallen around a minute behind Albasini with around 10 km 1 on remaining. Albasini remained well clear into Calella and eventually claimed his first victory for the GEC 2012a yes team,http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/03/news/albasini-continues-greenedge-streak-with-catalunya-win_209810 Albasini continues GreenEdge streak with Catalunya win VeloNews 19 March 2012 19 March 2012 and the team's second in three days after Simon Gerrans' win in Milan–San Remo the previous Saturday.http://www.ctvolympics.ca/news/newsid=1229913.html Albasini Wins Opening Stage in Catalunya Dean Campbell 19 March 2012 19 March 2012 CTV Television Network Bell Media As well as leading the general classification, Albasini held the lead of the mountains classification, after leading over two of the three climbs. Delaplace finished second, 42 seconds in arrears,http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/532163/greenedge-win-again-as-albasini-takes-catalunya-opener.html GreenEdge win again as Albasini takes Catalunya opener Nick Bull Cycling Weekly IPC Media Limited 19 March 2012 19 March 2012 after dropping Edet in the closing kilometres; Edet finished around half a minute later in third place. The peloton was not far behind; led over the line 18 seconds later by VCD 2012's Kenny van Hummel, after Duggan and Gastauer – the only rider to be passed by van Hummel – were caught in the finishing straight. Stage 1 Result and General Classification after Stage 1 RiderTeamTime 1 Michael Albasini SUI 20px|White jersey with green stripes20px|Red jersey GEC 2012a 3h 20' 04" 2 Anthony Delaplace FRA 20px|White jersey SAU 2012 + 42" 3 Nicolas Edet FRA COF 2012 + 1' 14" 4 Kenny van Hummel NED VCD 2012 + 1' 32" 5 Ben Gastauer LUX ALM 2012 + 1' 32" 6 Roger Kluge GER SUN 2012a + 1' 32" 7 Allan Davis AUS GEC 2012a + 1' 32" 8 Fabio Sabatini ITA LIQ 2012 + 1' 32" 9 Davide Appollonio ITA SKY 2012 + 1' 32" 10 Francesco Gavazzi ITA AST 2012 + 1' 32" Stage 2 20 March 2012 — Girona to Girona, 161 km 1 onhttp://www.cyclingnews.com/races/volta-a-catalunya-2012/stage-2 Stage 2 Preview Cycling News 19 March 2012 19 March 2012 21 April 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120421200350/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/volta-a-catalunya-2012/stage-2 dead Three riders – ACG 2012's Jordi Simón, CJR 2012 rider Julián Sánchez and Cyril Bessy of SAU 2012 – advanced clear of the main field after 12 km 1 on of the stage,http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/volta-a-catalunya-2012/stage-2/results Albasini wins second straight stage at Catalunya Cycling News 20 March 2012 20 March 2012 and managed to extend their advantage to a maximum of over seven minutes at one point during the early running of the stage.http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/11414/Michael-Albasini-doubles-up-in-the-Volta-a-Catalunya.aspx Ben Atkins 20 March 2012 20 March 2012 VeloNation Michael Albasini doubles up in the Volta a Catalunya Noting the peloton's inability to recapture the entire breakaway on the opening stage, GEC 2012a established themselves on the front of the pack; protecting their overall leader Michael Albasini from losing any potential time on the road.http://www.sportinglife.com/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=cycling/12/03/20/manual_184842.html&BID= Two out of two for Albasini 20 March 2012 20 March 2012 Sporting Life 365 Media Group Ltd. As such, by the time the race had reached the mid-stage feeding area, the trio out front only held a lead of around two minutes over the advancing peloton. MOV 2012's Alejandro Valverde took a tumble as the race was passing through; his front wheel hit a discarded drinks bottle, and crashed into a kerb.http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/11416/Alejandro-Valverde-crashes-out-of-contention-in-Volta-a-Catalunya.aspx Ben Atkins 20 March 2012 20 March 2012 VeloNation Alejandro Valverde crashes out of contention in Volta a Catalunya He would ultimately lose over two minutes on the day, after failing to make the junction back to the field.http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/03/news/albasini-makes-it-two-for-two-at-catalunya_209898 Albasini makes it two-for-two at Catalunya VeloNews 20 March 2012 20 March 2012 OPQ 2012 then assumed the leadership of the peloton, looking to help with Levi Leipheimer's bid for the overall race as a whole; in a reverse to what occurred at Paris–Nice earlier in the month where MOV 2012 yes initiated the pace when Leipheimer fell three times during the penultimate stage.http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/532178/albasini-claims-second-stage-in-tour-of-catalonia.html Albasini claims second stage in Tour of Catalonia Cycling Weekly IPC Media Limited 20 March 2012 20 March 2012 Alasdair Fotheringham Alasdair Fotheringham The breakaway's gap out front quickly dwindled, and were caught with over 40 km 1 on left to travel in the stage. This allowed for the Alt dels Angels, a first-category climb 14 km 1 on from the end,http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/20032012/58/albasini-wins-valverde-loses-time.html Albasini wins again; Valverde loses time 20 March 2012 20 March 2012 Yahoo! Eurosport TF1 Group to take a greater presence in the stage's running, increasing the chances of riders going off the front to attack. After Leipheimer and Tejay van Garderen (BMC 2012) made failed bids to get away, three riders – LAM 2012's Damiano Cunego, GRM 2012a rider Dan Martin and Matteo Carrara of VCD 2012 – went clear on the descent and held station off the front until the closing stages. A reduced peloton contested the sprint in Girona; Bradley Wiggins tried to set the sprint up for his SKY 2012 team-mate Rigoberto Urán,http://www.teamsky.com/article/0,27290,24917_7612612,00.html Uran on the podium in Girona SKY 2012 BSkyB 20 March 2012 20 March 2012 but Albasini surprised the field by accelerating clear in the finishing straight and picked up his second successive stage victory.http://www.iol.co.za/sport/cycling/albasini-wins-second-straight-stage-1.1260797 Albasini wins second straight stage 20 March 2012 20 March 2012 Independent Online Independent News & Media South African Press Association Urán finished third behind OPQ 2012 yes's Dario Cataldo. Stage 2 result RiderTeamTime 1 Michael Albasini SUI 20px|White jersey with green stripes GEC 2012a 3h 52' 07" 2 Dario Cataldo ITA OPQ 2012 s.t. 3 Rigoberto Urán COL SKY 2012 s.t. 4 Damiano Cunego ITA LAM 2012 s.t. 5 Ryder Hesjedal CAN GRM 2012a s.t. 6 Sergio Pardilla ESP MOV 2012 s.t. 7 Arnold Jeannesson FRA FDJ 2012 s.t. 8 Alberto Losada ESP KAT 2012 s.t. 9 Richie Porte AUS SKY 2012 s.t. 10 Robert Kišerlovski CRO AST 2012 s.t.General Classification after Stage 2 RiderTeamTime 1 Michael Albasini SUI 20px|White jersey with green stripes20px|Red jersey GEC 2012a 7h 12' 11" 2 Ryder Hesjedal CAN GRM 2012a + 1' 32" 3 Mikaël Cherel FRA ALM 2012 + 1' 32" 4 Steve Morabito SUI BMC 2012 + 1' 32" 5 Arnold Jeannesson FRA FDJ 2012 + 1' 32" 6 Dan Martin IRL GRM 2012a + 1' 32" 7 Richie Porte AUS SKY 2012 + 1' 32" 8 Jurgen Van den Broeck BEL LTB 2012 + 1' 32" 9 Jakob Fuglsang DEN RNT 2012 + 1' 32" 10 Damiano Cunego ITA LAM 2012 + 1' 32" Stage 3 21 March 2012 — La Vall d'en Bas to Canturri ca, 154.2 km 1 onhttp://www.edosof.com/2012/volta/resulta/libro-etapa3.pdf PDF 2 21 March 2012 21 March 2012 Edosof AS&A "Volta" Ciclista a Catalunya A.E.: Clasificacion 3ª Etapa es Volta a Catalunya: Stage 3 Classification https://web.archive.org/web/20131230234126/http://www.edosof.com/2012/volta/resulta/libro-etapa3.pdf 30 December 2013 dead dmy-all Originally scheduled to be held over 210.9 km 1 on from La Vall d'en Bas to Port Ainé,http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/volta-a-catalunya-2012/stage-3 Stage 3 Preview Cycling News 19 March 2012 19 March 2012 22 March 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120322002703/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/volta-a-catalunya-2012/stage-3 dead the race's queen stagehttp://www.cyclingnews.com/races/volta-a-catalunya-2012/stage-3/results Brajkovic wins weather-shortened queen stage Cycling News Susan Westemeyer 21 March 2012 22 March 2012 was shortened to 154.2 km 1 on due to snow on the hors-categorie climbs of the Port del Cantó and the finish climb at Port Ainé. As such, both climbs were removed from the itinerary, and the stage finish was moved to Canturri, on the lower slopes of the Port del Cantó. This occurred after the start of the stage, which had commenced in cold, wet conditions; several riders elected not to take the start including MOV 2012's Alejandro Valverde after his stage 2 crash,http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/valverde-out-of-volta-a-catalunya-following-second-stage-crash Valverde out of Volta a Catalunya following second stage crash Cycling News 21 March 2012 22 March 2012 and SAX 2012a rider Daniel Navarro, who had been ill for the previous week.http://www.team-saxobank.com/ny_news.asp?n_id=3542 https://archive.today/20130203125324/http://www.team-saxobank.com/ny_news.asp?n_id=3542 dead 3 February 2013 Chris Anker Sørensen ninth on third stage of Volta a Catalunya SAX 2012a Riis Cycling 21 March 2012 22 March 2012 An early crash, inside the opening 10 km 1 on of the parcours, saw several riders hit the ground, including LIQ 2012's Ivan Basso, GEC 2012a rider Julian Dean and František Raboň of OPQ 2012. All three abandoned, with Dean later taken to hospital in Valencia for surgery, after breaking his leg in a collision with a parked car.http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10793757 Dean breaks leg, Olympic hopes in jeopardy Michael Brown The New Zealand Herald APN News & Media 22 March 2012 22 March 2012http://www.greenedgecycling.com/node/417 In His Own Words: Neil Stephens Talks Catalunya Stage Three Neil Stephens Neil Stephens GEC 2012a GreenEDGE Cycling 22 March 2012 22 March 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120324105010/http://www.greenedgecycling.com/node/417 24 March 2012 dead dmy-all The stage's primary breakaway commenced forming at the 17 km 1 on mark, on the ascent of the first climb, the first-category Alt de Coubet. SAX 2012a yes's Chris Anker Sørensen went clear with BMC 2012 rider Johann Tschopp before they were joined on the descent by Janez Brajkovič of AST 2012.http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/11423/Volta-a-Catalunya-Brajkovic-wins-shortened-third-stage.aspx Brajkovic wins shortened third stage VeloNation 21 March 2012 22 March 2012 Shane Stokes This trio were eventually by another nine riders from two distinct groups, with the best-placed of these riders being Mikaël Cherel (ALM 2012) – who after two solid finishes in the opening two stages of the race – in third position in the general classification. The break quickly extended their gap to the main field, reaching a maximum of nigh on eleven minutes at the 123.5 km 1 on point of the stage. The inclement weather failed to relent, forcing organisers to deploy snow-clearing machinery at the finish, in a bid to run the stage at its full length.http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/21032012/58/brajkovic-wins-snow-shortened-stage.html Brajkovic wins snow-shortened stage Yahoo! Eurosport TF1 Group 21 March 2012 22 March 2012 Ultimately, their bid to do so was futile as race organisers could not guarantee a safe finish into Port Ainé,http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/532190/brajkovic-wins-shortened-stage-of-tour-of-catalonia-albasini-remains-leader.html Brajkovic wins shortened stage of Tour of Catalonia, Albasini remains leader Alasdair Fotheringham Alasdair Fotheringham Cycling Weekly IPC Media Limited 21 March 2012 22 March 2012 a ski station in the Pyrenees. The finish was moved to a point on the lower slopes of Port del Cantó, and thus eliminating any opportunity for the main field to contest for the stage victory; the twelve-man breakaway were just 10 km 1 on away from the point as the decision was made to do so. With the finish marked out by just a solitary line on the road, Brajkovič won the sprint for the line ahead of OPQ 2012 yes rider Michał Gołaś and Matteo Carrara of VCD 2012.http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/03/news/brajkovic-wins-weather-shortened-catalunya-stage_209975 Brajkovic wins weather-shortened Catalunya stage, Schleck abandons VeloNews 21 March 2012 22 March 2012 The peloton came across the line around eight minutes later, having cut into the lead in the false hope that the stage would run its full parcours. Several hours after the stage was completed, it was announced that the timings would not count towards the general classification,http://www.voltacatalunya.cat/ca/noticia/2012-03-21/84/ Crònica de la tercera etapa: La Vall d'en Bas-Port-Ainé 21 March 2012 22 March 2012 ca Chronicle of the third stage: La Vall d'en Bas-Port-Ainé Volta a Catalunya Ciclista a Catalunya Associació Esportiva https://web.archive.org/web/20120514205655/http://www.voltacatalunya.cat/ca/noticia/2012-03-21/84/ 14 May 2012 dead but points towards the mountains and sprints classifications would count. This meant that – while losing the lead of the mountains classification to Sørensen – GEC 2012a yes rider Michael Albasini maintained his 92-second advantage at the head of the race, and also assumed the lead of the sprints classification after previous leader Anthony Delaplace (SAU 2012), like 32 other riders, abandoned during the stage. Among the other abandonments were Bradley Wiggins and Richie Porte of SKY 2012, BMC 2012 yes rider Tejay van Garderen and RNT 2012 trio Andy Schleck, Ben Hermans and Tiago Machado.http://www.radioshacknissantrek.com/news/azevedo-whats-happening-cycling Azevedo: "What's happening with cycling?" RNT 2012 Leopard S.A. 21 March 2012 22 March 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120322112518/http://www.radioshacknissantrek.com/news/azevedo-whats-happening-cycling 22 March 2012 dead dmy-all The announcement of neutralising the time gaps came as no surprise to many of the riders and team members. Stage winner Brajkovič described the stage and its conditions as the "hardest day of his life",http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/03/news/chaos-at-catalunya-nearly-40-abandon-but-officials-might-let-them-start-thursday_210078 Andrew Hood Chaos at Catalunya: Nearly 40 abandon, but officials might let them start Thursday VeloNews 21 March 2012 22 March 2012 while runner-up on the day Gołaś noted that it was not until he saw race officials that he knew where the finish of the stage was. Race leader Albasini's team director at GEC 2012a yes, Neil Stephens, also described the announcement as a fair decision, having encountered a similar situation during the 1995 running of the event, when he was riding for the ONC 1995 team.http://www.biciciclismo.com/cas/site/noticias-ficha.asp?id=44850 La huella de la ONCE (1989–2003): Todos sus equipos y corredores 11 November 2011 22 March 2012 es The imprint of ONCE (1989–2003): All teams and riders Biciciclismo Gurenet Teknologia S.L. Fellow team director José Azevedo (RNT 2012 yes) was more frank with his comments; he expressed dismay at the late nature of being told about the stage's shortening, and anger at other riders for failing to wait for crashed riders in the early stages. The order of riders placed 3rd to 7th were subsequently revised on the UCI's official results service, but as of May 2012 remained unchanged on the event organisers' site. Stage 3 ResultNo official times recorded. RiderTeam 1 Janez Brajkovič SLO AST 2012 2 Michał Gołaś POL OPQ 2012 3 Mikaël Cherel FRA ALM 2012 4 Matteo Carrara ITA VCD 2012 5 Thomas Rohregger AUT RNT 2012 6 Chris Anker Sørensen DEN SAX 2012a 7 Christian Vande Velde USA GRM 2012a 8 Johann Tschopp SUI BMC 2012 9 Steven Kruijswijk NED RAB 2012 10 Romain Bardet FRA ALM 2012General Classification after Stage 3 RiderTeamTime 1 Michael Albasini SUI 20px|White jersey with green stripes20px|White jersey GEC 2012a 7h 12' 12"A notional increment of one second was added to the overall time of each rider that completed the stage. 2 Ryder Hesjedal CAN GRM 2012a + 1' 32" 3 Mikaël Cherel FRA ALM 2012 + 1' 32" 4 Steve Morabito SUI BMC 2012 + 1' 32" 5 Arnold Jeannesson FRA FDJ 2012 + 1' 32" 6 Dan Martin IRL GRM 2012a + 1' 32" 7 Jurgen Van den Broeck BEL LTB 2012 + 1' 32" 8 Jakob Fuglsang DEN RNT 2012 + 1' 32" 9 Damiano Cunego ITA LAM 2012 + 1' 32" 10 Tom Danielson USA GRM 2012a + 1' 32" Stage 4 22 March 2012 — Tremp to Ascó, 199 km 1 onhttp://www.cyclingnews.com/races/volta-a-catalunya-2012/stage-4 Stage 4 Preview Cycling News 19 March 2012 19 March 2012 25 June 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120625173400/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/volta-a-catalunya-2012/stage-4 dead Following on from the tumultuous third stage, the fourth stage began without two of the overnight top ten riders in the general classification. Fifth-placed Arnold Jeannesson (FDJ 2012) failed to start the stage due to a knee injury, as a result of a crash during the third stage.https://www.lequipe.fr/Cyclisme-sur-route/Actualites/Fuglsang-et-jeannesson-out/271966 Fuglsang et Jeannesson out fr Fuglsang and Jeannesson out L'Équipe Éditions Philippe Amaury 22 March 2012 23 March 2012 He was joined on the sidelines by eighth-placed Jakob Fuglsang of RNT 2012, who fractured his scaphoid on the same stage and as a result had to abandon the race on his 27th birthday.http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/fuglsang-withdraws-from-volta-a-catalunya-due-to-broken-hand Fuglsang withdraws from Volta a Catalunya due to broken hand Cycling News 22 March 2012 23 March 2012 The stage itself was also delayed from its original start time after five teams were snowed in on the Port Ainé, following yesterday's racing.http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/11426/Chaos-in-Catalunya-as-snow-temporarily-hems-in-five-teams.aspx Chaos in Catalunya as snow temporarily hems in five teams Shane Stokes VeloNation 22 March 2012 23 March 2012 Once the stage commenced, CJR 2012 rider Julián Sánchez made it into the breakaway for the second time in three days, with ACG 2012 represented once again, this time through Jesús Rosendo; and the breakaway was completed by Belgium's Romain Zingle, riding for the COF 2012 team.http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/22032012/58/uran-wins-catalunya.html Uran wins in Catalunya Yahoo! Eurosport TF1 Group 22 March 2012 23 March 2012 Lee Walker The breakaway trio's maximum advantage over the main field came early on in the stage; after 17 km 1 on, they held a lead of almost five minutes, but that was quickly whittled down, and by the time the trio entered the finishing circuit in Ascó for the first of two 28 km 1 on laps – not including the closing 1.7 km 1 on run-in – the gap was around two-and-a-half minutes.http://www.biciciclismo.com/cas/site/eventos_online-ficha.asp?id=169 4ª etapa Volta a Catalunya: Urán bate a Menchov en Ascó 22 March 2012 23 March 2012 es Stage 4 Tour of Catalunya: Uran beats Menchov in Ascó Biciciclismo Gurenet Teknologia S.L. The trio were caught by a gruppetto of around 25 riders in the proximity of the climb of the Coll de Paumeres; Zingle on the ascent, and Rosendo and Sánchez on the descent.http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/volta-a-catalunya-2012/stage-4/results Uran times his sprint right on stage 4 Peter Hymas Cycling News 22 March 2012 23 March 2012 After an original move of two riders who tried to go clear after that, Levi Leipheimer of OPQ 2012 and LIQ 2012's Sylwester Szmyd counter-attacked and went clear.http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/11431/Volta-a-Catalunya-Uran-takes-strong-win-Albasini-defends-jersey.aspx Uran takes strong win, Albasini defends jersey Shane Stokes VeloNation 22 March 2012 23 March 2012 They were joined by four other riders, and pretty much stayed clear to the end; they were caught in the final 500 m ft on, but Rigoberto Urán (SKY 2012), Denis Menchov of KAT 2012, Szmyd and COF 2012 rider David Moncoutié had enough in reserve to take out the top four places on the stage. Michael Albasini once again retained the leader's jersey; continuing to hold his 92-second lead over fellow Swiss rider Steve Morabito of BMC 2012, who moved up from fourth after Ryder Hesjedal of GRM 2012a and ALM 2012's Mikaël Cherel both lost time. Stage 4 result RiderTeamTime 1 Rigoberto Urán COL SKY 2012 5h 13' 12" 2 Denis Menchov RUS KAT 2012 s.t. 3 Sylwester Szmyd POL LIQ 2012 s.t. 4 David Moncoutié FRA COF 2012 s.t. 5 Jurgen Van den Broeck BEL LTB 2012 s.t. 6 Samuel Sánchez ESP EUS 2012 s.t. 7 Matteo Carrara ITA VCD 2012 s.t. 8 Dario Cataldo ITA OPQ 2012 s.t. 9 Julien Simon FRA SAU 2012 s.t. 10 Robert Kišerlovski CRO AST 2012 s.t.General Classification after Stage 4 RiderTeamTime 1 Michael Albasini SUI 20px|White jersey with green stripes GEC 2012a 12h 25' 24" 2 Steve Morabito SUI BMC 2012 + 1' 32" 3 Jurgen Van den Broeck BEL LTB 2012 + 1' 32" 4 Dan Martin IRL GRM 2012a + 1' 32" 5 Samuel Sánchez ESP EUS 2012 + 1' 32" 6 Rigoberto Urán COL SKY 2012 + 1' 32" 7 Sergio Pardilla ESP MOV 2012 + 1' 32" 8 Damiano Cunego ITA LAM 2012 + 1' 32" 9 Tom Danielson USA GRM 2012a + 1' 32" 10 Robert Kišerlovski CRO AST 2012 + 1' 32" Stage 5 23 March 2012 — Ascó to Manresa, 207.1 km 1 onhttp://www.cyclingnews.com/races/volta-a-catalunya-2012/stage-5 Stage 5 Preview Cycling News 19 March 2012 19 March 2012 22 March 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120322235656/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/volta-a-catalunya-2012/stage-5 dead Mini-attacks set the course for the stage as the field remained as one, for much of the first half of the stage.http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/11437/Volta-a-Catalunya-Simon-wins-stage-5-Albasini-retains-race-lead.aspx Volta a Catalunya: Simon wins stage 5, Albasini retains race lead Shane Stokes VeloNation 23 March 2012 24 March 2012 It was not until after 85 km 1 on that the stage's primary breakaway had been formed. Six riders – BMC 2012 rider Mathias Frank, OPQ 2012's Kristof Vandewalle, mountains classification leader Chris Anker Sørensen of SAX 2012a, VCD 2012 rider Tomasz Marczyński, CJR 2012's Marcos García and Nicolas Edet of COF 2012 – originally managed to breach the confines of the field, and set off in a bid to extend a substantial advantage of the main field. Javier Ramírez of ACG 2012 also went clear of the main field, but could not catch up to the sextet out front, and was eventually pulled back by the peloton.http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/volta-a-catalunya-2012/stage-5/results Simon sprints to stage 5 win in Catalunya Cycling News 23 March 2012 24 March 2012 Susan Westemeyer At the intermediate sprint, coming after 108 km 1 on in Santa Coloma de Queralt, the breakaway held a lead of seven-and-a-half minutes over the peloton. That gap was reduced as several teams picked up the pace on the front of the peloton; with 50 km 1 on remaining of the stage, the breakaway group held an advantage of five minutes over the rest of the field, and the time gap was reducing at a rate of a minute per 10 km 1 on. By the time the race had reached the second, and final, climb of the day, the Alt de Montserrat, the gap had been more than halved down to a gap of 2' 10". Frank attacked on the climb, and took Sørensen, Edet and García with him, but with the peloton closing ever nearer, the chances of a successful breakaway diminished. In fact, the four remaining breakaway riders held a lead of just 23 seconds at the top of the climb, and were eventually caught on the descent. Damiano Cunego (LAM 2012) and Levi Leipheimer (OPQ 2012 yes both tried to push clear of the reduced group of elite contenders, but were both closed down not long after. Cunego's luck was against him also, as he punctured close to the finish. He managed to recover back to the group, not losing time overall. OPQ 2012 yes tried to set up the finish for one of their riders, but could do no better than fifth for Dario Cataldo; as Julien Simon took out the victory for the SAU 2012 team,https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jU2y7nh_O8lJOg95o6Sl8gxtORVg?docId=CNG.bf5d089cf24ee0e2049a013355d10a48.3a1 https://archive.today/20130125014630/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jU2y7nh_O8lJOg95o6Sl8gxtORVg?docId=CNG.bf5d089cf24ee0e2049a013355d10a48.3a1 dead January 25, 2013 Simon takes Tour of Catalonia fifth stage Google News Google 23 March 2012 24 March 2012 Agence France-Presse while Stage 4 winner Rigoberto Urán (SKY 2012) finished second, and Sylwester Szmyd finished third for the second successive stage for LIQ 2012.http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/532230/simon-pips-uran-to-stage-win-in-catalonia-as-albasini-holds-on-to-lead.html Simon pips Uran to stage win in Catalonia as Albasini holds on to lead Alasdair Fotheringham Alasdair Fotheringham Cycling Weekly 23 March 2012 24 March 2012 Michael Albasini, who finished seventh on the day, maintained his 92-second overall lead for GEC 2012a.http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-03-24/albasini-still-leading-in-spain/3910118?section=sport Albasini still leading in Spain Australian Broadcasting Corporation 24 March 2012 24 March 2012 Agence France-Presse Stage 5 result RiderTeamTime 1 Julien Simon FRA SAU 2012 4h 58' 27" 2 Rigoberto Urán COL SKY 2012 s.t. 3 Sylwester Szmyd POL LIQ 2012 s.t. 4 Samuel Sánchez ESP EUS 2012 s.t. 5 Dario Cataldo ITA OPQ 2012 s.t. 6 Jurgen Van den Broeck BEL LTB 2012 s.t. 7 Michael Albasini SUI 20px|White jersey with green stripes GEC 2012a s.t. 8 Denis Menchov RUS KAT 2012 s.t. 9 Dan Martin IRL GRM 2012a s.t. 10 Robert Kišerlovski CRO AST 2012 s.t.General Classification after Stage 5 RiderTeamTime 1 Michael Albasini SUI 20px|White jersey with green stripes GEC 2012a 17h 23' 51" 2 Jurgen Van den Broeck BEL LTB 2012 + 1' 32" 3 Dan Martin IRL GRM 2012a + 1' 32" 4 Samuel Sánchez ESP EUS 2012 + 1' 32" 5 Rigoberto Urán COL SKY 2012 + 1' 32" 6 Damiano Cunego ITA LAM 2012 + 1' 32" 7 Tom Danielson USA GRM 2012a + 1' 32" 8 Sergio Pardilla ESP MOV 2012 + 1' 32" 9 Robert Kišerlovski CRO AST 2012 + 1' 32" 10 Dario Cataldo ITA OPQ 2012 + 1' 32" Stage 6 24 March 2012 — Sant Fruitós de Bages to Badalona, 169.4 km 1 onhttp://www.cyclingnews.com/races/volta-a-catalunya-2012/stage-6 Stage 6 Preview Cycling News 19 March 2012 19 March 2012 25 June 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120625173410/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/volta-a-catalunya-2012/stage-6 dead thumb|The peloton making their way through Sant Feliu Sasserra during the stage. Just like the previous day's stage, mini-attacks set the course for the early running; at least four separate groups attacked inside the first 40 km 1 on of the parcours.http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/11446/Volta-a-Catalunya-Sanchez-grabs-stage-with-late-attack.aspx Sanchez grabs stage with late attack Shane Stokes VeloNation 24 March 2012 25 March 2012 It was at this point that two riders decided to venture clear of the peloton; French duo David Moncoutié (COF 2012) and Cédric Pineau (FDJ 2012) set the tempo off the front, and were chased by several other riders. GRM 2012a's Ryder Hesjedal was among those chasing after Moncoutié and Pineau, in the hope of bringing himself back into overall contention, having been as high as second in the overall classification earlier in the week. The group was brought back however, but another French rider, Mikaël Cherel of the ALM 2012 team, bridged up to his compatriots and they set about extending their gap over the field; the peloton allowed them to break free, as Cherel was best placed of the riders overall at sixteen minutes down. The trio held an advantage of three minutes after 72 km 1 on, when the race took a temporary halt after a police motorcycle collided with a car head-on, on the stage route. Both the occupant of the car and the motorcyclist were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries; while the race itself was halted for 40 minutes.http://www.bmcracingteam.com/news/news/datum/2012/03/24/volta-a-catalunya-stage-6-strange-circumstances https://web.archive.org/web/20120327231635/http://www.bmcracingteam.com/news/news/datum/2012/03/24/volta-a-catalunya-stage-6-strange-circumstances/ usurped March 27, 2012 Volta a Catalunya, Stage 6: Strange Circumstances 24 March 2012 25 March 2012 BMC 2012 BMC Trading AGhttp://www.cyclingnews.com/news/motorcycle-accident-interrupts-volta-a-catalunya Motorcycle accident interrupts Volta a Catalunya 24 March 2012 25 March 2012 Cycling News Once the accident was cleared, the breakaway trio were allowed to leave with their original three-minute advantage, after the peloton had negated their gap through the time that they had been stopped. Their attacking impetus had been stunted however, as they were losing time quickly and were eventually caught prior to the stage's final climb of the day, the Alt de la Conresa. Pineau's team-mate Jussi Veikkanen was next to try an attack off the front of the peloton, and despite pressure from the CJR 2012 team, he managed to get clear and was later joined by Stage 3 winner Janez Brajkovič of AST 2012, COF 2012 yes rider Romain Zingle and SUN 2012a's Yann Huguet. The lead quartet pushed on through the final intermediate sprint point in Mollet del Vallès, and managed to hold their advantage onto the Alt de la Conresa. Huguet could not live with the pace that was being set by Brajkovič, but his efforts were ultimately in vain as the main field quickly caught up to them prior to the summit of the climb. Having done most of the work on the front, KAT 2012 had a rider go clear for a period, but Alberto Losada was brought back very quickly. ALM 2012 yes's Romain Bardet and Francis Mourey, the third FDJ 2012 yes rider to make an attempt to get clear, both launched attacks prior to the final finishing circuit in Badalona. They both tried to set themselves up for long solo bids for victory, but the peloton closed them down as soon as they could build an advantage. With 3 km 1 on and the field still together, it had the hallmarks for a bunch sprint; but EUS 2012 rider Samuel Sánchez attacked on a slight incline, hoping to achieve a small split in the field and move himself into second place overall behind GEC 2012a's Michael Albasini.http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/volta-a-catalunya-2012/stage-6/results Sanchez sneaks away to stage 6 win Cycling News 24 March 2012 25 March 2012 Sánchez did just that, as he soloed to the stage victory – his team's first of the seasonhttp://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/532239/sanchez-outwits-sprinters-for-impressive-tour-of-catalonia-win.html Sanchez outwits sprinters for impressive Tour of Catalonia win Alasdair Fotheringham Alasdair Fotheringham 24 March 2012 25 March 2012 Cycling Weekly IPC Media Limited – and a two-second winning margin over the rest of the field, led across the line by Albasini's team-mate Allan Davis and Stage 5 winner Julien Simon of SAU 2012.http://www1.skysports.com/cycling/news/15264/7622993/Classy-Sanchez-surprises-field Classy Sanchez surprises field Sky Sports 24 March 2012 25 March 2012 Albasini finished in the pack to go into the final day with a lead of exactly 90 seconds, while behind Sánchez, thirteen riders were grouped together on the same time, two seconds behind Sánchez. Stage 6 result RiderTeamTime 1 Samuel Sánchez ESP EUS 2012 4h 04' 50" 2 Allan Davis AUS GEC 2012a + 2" 3 Julien Simon FRA SAU 2012 + 2" 4 Juan José Haedo ARG SAX 2012a + 2" 5 Damiano Cunego ITA LAM 2012 + 2" 6 Francesco Gavazzi ITA AST 2012 + 2" 7 Fabio Sabatini ITA LIQ 2012 + 2" 8 Dan Martin IRL GRM 2012a + 2" 9 Davide Appollonio ITA SKY 2012 + 2" 10 Jurgen Van den Broeck BEL LTB 2012 + 2"General Classification after Stage 6 RiderTeamTime 1 Michael Albasini SUI 20px|White jersey with green stripes GEC 2012a 21h 28' 43" 2 Samuel Sánchez ESP EUS 2012 + 1' 30" 3 Jurgen Van den Broeck BEL LTB 2012 + 1' 32" 4 Dan Martin IRL GRM 2012a + 1' 32" 5 Rigoberto Urán COL SKY 2012 + 1' 32" 6 Damiano Cunego ITA LAM 2012 + 1' 32" 7 Sergio Pardilla ESP MOV 2012 + 1' 32" 8 Robert Kišerlovski CRO AST 2012 + 1' 32" 9 Dario Cataldo ITA OPQ 2012 + 1' 32" 10 Matteo Carrara ITA VCD 2012 + 1' 32" Stage 7 25 March 2012 — Badalona to Barcelona, 119.8 km 1 onhttp://www.cyclingnews.com/races/volta-a-catalunya-2012/stage-7 Stage 7 Preview Cycling News 19 March 2012 19 March 2012 25 June 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120625174609/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/volta-a-catalunya-2012/stage-7 dead The race ended with a short, yet tough, stage into Barcelona; as part of the 119.8 km 1 on parcours, there were three third-category climbs and a second-category climb, all coming after the 50 km 1 on mark.http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/volta-a-catalunya-2012/stage-7/results Simon gets another sprint win in Catalunya Cycling News 25 March 2012 25 March 2012 Nine riders representing seven teams contributed to the opening move of the stage, as they accelerated off the front of the main field after just 6 km 1 on.http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/11451/Simon-wins-again-in-Volta-a-Catalunya-Albasini-seals-final-overall-victory.aspx Simon wins again in Volta a Catalunya, Albasini seals final overall victory Shane Stokes VeloNation 25 March 2012 25 March 2012 Their advantage, however, was always checked by the peloton, instead keeping the gap at a manageable distance. As such, the nine riders only held a lead of just over ninety seconds for most of the first half of the stage. Javier Ramírez was the first to summit the Alt d'Ullastrell for ACG 2012, while at the second climb, it was KAT 2012's Petr Ignatenko that took the honours on the Castellbisbal. The peloton, being led by GEC 2012a and GRM 2012a, closed in yet further on the lead group, with the advantage for the nine out front dropping under the minute mark, as they descended from the Castellbisbal. Ignatenko's team-mate Gatis Smukulis,http://www.biciciclismo.com/cas/site/eventos_online-ficha.asp?id=172 7ª etapa Volta a Catalunya: Simon gana en Barcelona es 25 March 2012 25 March 2012 Stage 7 Tour of Catalunya: Simon wins in Barcelona Biciciclismo Gurenet Teknologia S.L. a stage winner at the 2011 race and AST 2012's Aleksandr Dyachenko attacked on the second-category Alt de Tibidabo, coming with around 30 km 1 on left on the stage. After Nicolas Edet (COF 2012) joined them on the climb, Dyachenko went off the front again, and soloed away while his eight breakaway companions were caught. Four other attacks occurred on the run-in to Barcelona, with RAB 2012's Luis León Sánchez getting the most leeway from the group; holding an advantage of around a minute with 15 km 1 on to go, but could not survive off the front. Ultimately, it came down to another sprint finish, with in-form Julien Simon taking his second win for SAU 2012 in three days, ahead of Francesco Gavazzi of AST 2012 yes and LAM 2012's Damiano Cunego.http://www.dailypeloton.com/displayarticle.asp?pk=19936 https://archive.today/20120730122410/http://www.dailypeloton.com/displayarticle.asp?pk=19936 dead 30 July 2012 2012 Volta Ciclista a Catalunya - Stage 7 Luke Allingham 25 March 2012 25 March 2012 Daily Peloton Earthlink Michael Albasini finished in the pack to claim the victory,http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/532242/albasini-claims-biggest-career-win-in-tour-of-catalonia.html Albasini claims biggest career win in Tour of Catalonia Cycling Weekly IPC Media Limited 25 March 2012 25 March 2012 Alasdair Fotheringham Alasdair Fotheringham maintaining his 90-second advantage over Samuel Sánchez of EUS 2012.http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/03/race-report/albasini-wins-overall-at-catalunya-simon-the-stage_210678 Albasini wins overall at Catalunya, Simon the stage 25 March 2012 25 March 2012 VeloNews Agence France-Presse Stage 7 result RiderTeamTime 1 Julien Simon FRA SAU 2012 2h 47' 02" 2 Francesco Gavazzi ITA AST 2012 s.t. 3 Damiano Cunego ITA LAM 2012 s.t. 4 Rigoberto Urán COL SKY 2012 s.t. 5 Robert Kišerlovski CRO AST 2012 s.t. 6 Jurgen Van den Broeck BEL LTB 2012 s.t. 7 Steven Kruijswijk NED RAB 2012 s.t. 8 Romain Bardet FRA ALM 2012 s.t. 9 Maciej Paterski POL LIQ 2012 s.t. 10 Denis Menchov RUS KAT 2012 s.t.Final General Classification RiderTeamTime 1 Michael Albasini SUI 20px|White jersey with green stripes GEC 2012a 24h 15' 45" 2 Samuel Sánchez ESP EUS 2012 + 1' 30" 3 Jurgen Van den Broeck BEL LTB 2012 + 1' 32" 4 Dan Martin IRL GRM 2012a + 1' 32" 5 Rigoberto Urán COL SKY 2012 + 1' 32" 6 Damiano Cunego ITA LAM 2012 + 1' 32" 7 Robert Kišerlovski CRO AST 2012 + 1' 32" 8 Matteo Carrara ITA VCD 2012 + 1' 32" 9 Dario Cataldo ITA OPQ 2012 + 1' 32" 10 Sergio Pardilla ESP MOV 2012 + 1' 32" Classification leadership table In the 2012 Volta a Catalunya, four different jerseys were awarded. For the general classification, calculated by adding each cyclist's finishing times on each stage, the leader received a white and green jersey. This classification was considered the most important of the 2012 Volta a Catalunya, and the winner of the classification was considered the winner of the race. Additionally, there was a sprints classification, which awarded a white jersey. In the sprints classification, cyclists received points for finishing in the top 3 at intermediate sprint points during each stage. There was also a mountains classification, the leadership of which was marked by a red jersey. In the mountains classification, points were won by reaching the top of a climb before other cyclists, with more points available for the higher-categorised climbs. The fourth jersey represented the Catalan rider classification, marked by a blue jersey. This was calculated in the same manner as the general classification, calculated by adding each Catalan cyclist's finishing times on each stage. There was also a classification for teams, in which the times of the best three cyclists per team on each stage were added together; the leading team at the end of the race was the team with the lowest total time. Stage Winner General Classification25px Mountains Classification25px|Red jersey Sprint Classification25px|White jersey Best Catalan Classification25px Team Classification 1 Michael Albasini Michael Albasini Michael Albasini Anthony Delaplace Jordi Simón GEC 2012a 2 Michael Albasini Alberto Losada SKY 2012 3 Janez Brajkovič Chris Anker Sørensen Michael Albasini 4 Rigoberto Urán Julián Sánchez GRM 2012a 5 Julien Simon Tomasz Marczyński 6 Samuel Sánchez 7 Julien Simon Final Michael Albasini Chris Anker Sørensen Tomasz Marczyński Alberto Losada GRM 2012a Notes N References 30em External links http://www.voltacatalunya.cat/ 2012 Volta Category:2012 in Spanish road cycling Category:2012 UCI World Tour Category:March 2012 sports events in Spain