Top favorite Primoz Roglic has won the first stage of the Tour of Catalonia. The Slovenian won in a thrilling sprint ahead of world champion Remco Evenepoel. After 164.4 kilometers around Sant Feliu de Guíxols north of Barcelona, the German team Bora-hansgrohe celebrated third place thanks to Dutchman Ide Schelling.
The stage was overshadowed by a heavy crash at high speed a few kilometers from the finish. Several drivers were injured. The Italian Dario Cataldo was lying on the sidewalk with a profusely bleeding wound and had to be taken away by ambulance.
Tour is considered a dress rehearsal for the Giro d’Italia
His team Trek announced in the evening the severity of the injuries: femoral neck fracture, hip fracture, collarbone fracture, two broken vertebrae, multiple broken ribs and a collapsed lung. The 38-year-old should be operated on in Girona as soon as possible.
The tour is considered an important form test for the Giro d’Italia in May. After seven stages, the race ends on Sunday in Barcelona. For Roglic and Evenepoel it is a kind of dress rehearsal, because the duel will also take place at the second largest national tour in Italy.