Jonas Vingegaard admits Evenepoel’s move worked in his favour: “That was a bit lucky for me”

Vingegaard had already set his team to work during the stage. “We wanted to go for the stage. It was a strong breakaway, with Bart there for us. Menno and Bruno then took control in the peloton, and after that Jorgen took over. The whole team was outstanding.”

“Red Bull put the pressure on in the final descent, but I was able to stay in the first group,” the Dane said, referring to the work done by Evenepoel. “I was happy that I could follow. When they saw Felix Gall was not there, they kept pushing to secure the podium. That worked in my favour and was a bit lucky for me, I think.”

“After that it came down to six riders, but I knew I still had the legs to attack and drop the others. It was a good day and I’m happy with the win after all the work the team put in,” said the Dane, who will hope to finish the job on Sunday in Barcelona. There, he will also get an immediate look at the route of stage 2 of this year’s Tour de France, with Montjuïc set to play a key role.

“It’s not the kind of stage that suits me best, so above all I want to keep the lead,” Vingegaard said as he looked ahead to the Barcelona stage. “We’ll focus on the general classification. It would be nice to win another stage, but that’s not the main priority.”

“The Volta a Catalunya is a big race that I want to win, but at the same time it is also good preparation for the Giro. I’m happy with where I am and with the two wins I’ve already taken,” he added to CyclingProNet.