Laurens De Plus and Egan Bernal finished 10th and 16th respectively, in a wet and wild opening stage at Volta a Catalunya.
The pair finished in the peloton behind solo winner Matthew Brennan (Visma Lease A Bike), after tackling a gruelling circuit finish in Sant Feliu de Guíxols.
The pair are in the top 20 overall ahead of tomorrow’s second stage from Banyoles to Figueres will see the riders tackle a flat 177.3km in a day for the sprinters.
🏁59 km pel final. Etapa 1⃣ @Guixols
— Volta a Catalunya (@VoltaCatalunya) March 24, 2025
🚴El pilot ha neutralitzat l'escapada al primer pas per la línia de meta!
❌No more breakaway of the day as @INEOSGrenadiers put a strong pace!#VoltaCatalunya104 pic.twitter.com/B4F2bLyu85
A hilly first stage saw the Grenadiers battle tough conditions on the 178.6km loop.
A break headed up the road early on, racking up almost three minutes on the peloton before the Grenadiers stormed to the front, making the catch with 60km to go.
Heading onto the final circuit of the stage, the Grenadiers put the hammer down again as the weather worsened, battling wind and rain to smash the front of the peloton along the technical coast road and keep our riders safe in difficult conditions.
Inside the last 30km, untimely punctures saw Geraint Thomas and Axel Laurance chase back on to miss out on the final sprint to the finish, while De Plus and Bernal were able to finish in a reduced bunch to maintain their GC ambitions.