After two tough GC days, today’s stage at the Volta Catalunya was one for the fast men again. With only a small breakaway on the road, the Team dsm-firmenich PostNL squad worked well together as a unit, looking to keep their fast man Emils Liepins fresh for the fast final. Coming into the decisive kilometres, they did a great job staying in position without wasting too much energy in the wind. Inside the final 1.5 kilometers, his teammates dropped Emils on the right wheels, and he could launch his final sprint, powering to his first podium of the year.
After the race, Liepins said: “As we expected, today was finally a day for the sprinters. Luckily, the climb of the day was not ridden so hard, and we came over it in a good way. In the final, the team did a really good job and brought me into a good position. I had a good wheel and started my sprint with 300 meters to go. I was a little bit boxed in but was able to find a way out again. I did a good sprint and got third, but I had good speed in the end. I think I could have won today, but a podium on this level is also nice.”
Team dsm-firmenich PostNL coach Phil West added: “Today was a pretty straightforward day. On paper, it looked like it would be a sprint so we prepared fully for that. We took care to ensure that the break was the right combination and several other teams had the same interest. Then it was really about coming through the day in an efficient way, also looking at the challenges such as the wind and the climb. The guys showed some really nice teamwork in the final, defended their side, and surfed with the GC teams. We came into the final kilometers with three guys and could put Emils in a spot where he could have a clean run in the sprint, and it’s nice to get a podium here. We are now looking for some more opportunities in the coming days.”