Volta a Catalunya (2016) Photos March 21 - 27

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Scenery along the Catalan coast	Nacer BOUHANNI (COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS) wins Stage 1 ahead of Ben SWIFT (SKY) and Daryl IMPEY (ORICA GreenEDGE)	Your Stage 1 winner, Nacer BOUHANNI (COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS)

Stage 2:  Mataró → Olot, 179 km  Full Results and Report

Thomas de Gendt in the break before his unsuccessful solo bid	Nacer BOUHANNI (COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS) wins again this time ahead of 2nd Gianni MEERSMAN (ETIXX - QUICK STEP) and 3rd Philippe GILBERT (BMC RACING)

Stage 3:  Girona → La Molina, 172 km  Full Results and Report

Alex Howes leading the first escapados descending Alto de Toses	Chasing through the snow	The peloton coming through
		Tinkoff Saxo's Matteo Tossato plunging through the snowy roads
M. Mohoric (Slov./Lampre Merida)	Huub DUIJN (Rompot) leading the last breakaway on the penultimate climb
Froome ahead of Thomas this time	Alberto Contador amidst Tinkoff	Dani Navarro grabs a drink, Victor De La Parte of CCC behind him
Rigoberto Uran Colombia Cannondale along way back of the peloton on the penultimate climb	Dan Martin checks the gap to Contador at 25m	Dan Martin (Etixx Quick Step) attacked the GC group at the front of the are on the step approach to the line after Stage 3 feature 3 Cat 1 climbs
Dan Martin (Etixx Quick Step) wins Stage 3	2nd Albert Contador (Tinkoff) + 2s, 3rd Romain Bardet (AG2R), 4th Tejay Van Garderen (BMC)	3rd Romain Bardet (AG2R), 4th Tejay Van Garderen (BMC)
5th Richie PORTE (BMC RACING) + 9s followed by 6th Nairo QUINTANA (MOVISTAR)	7th Davide FORMOLO (CANNONDALE) + 11s and 8th Ilnur ZAKARIN (KATUSHA) + 12s	9th Christopher FROOME (SKY) + 12s
13 Geraint THOMAS (SKY), 14 Mikel NIEVE (SKY), 15 Daniel NAVARRO (COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS) + 18s	15 Daniel NAVARRO (COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS) + 18s	Alberto Contador gets covered up from the cold and wind on La Molina
Chris Froome post race	Your Stage 3 winner, Dan Martin (Etixx Quick Step)
And overall leader, Dan Martin (Etixx Quick Step) by 6s over Contador	Koen Bowman (Lotto Jumbo NL) intermediate sprints leader after st3	Boris Drpon (Wanty Groupe Gobert) KOM leader after Stage 3

Stage 4:  Bagà → Port Ainé, 172 km  Full Results and Report

Bagà start line for Stage 4	The oldest rider in the race, Davide Rebellin, age 45, still enjoys bike racing	Fabio Aru hasn't had anything to smile about this week
Alberto Contador always has a smile for our photographer, Colin Flockton	Tejay van Garderen (BMC)	Race leader for one day only, Dan Martin Etixx Quick Step
Alberto Contador striking a pose	Stage 4 rollout
Scenery from the road on Stage 4	50 km to go: Thomas De Gendt leading the break
7 minutes later, the peloton comes through	Thomas De Gendt (Lotto Soudal) has been in every breakaway this week and today it paid off	Thomas De Gendt caught and passed original break mate Pieter Weening and finish over one minute ahead of the GC contenders to win the Stage 4 summit finish
	2nd (1st among the GC contenders) 2nd Nairo QUINTANA (MOVISTAR) + 1:08	and now first overall, Nairo QUINTANA (MOVISTAR)
Photo finish for 3rd and the 4s bonus seconds as 3rd Richie PORTE (BMC RACING) pips 4th Alberto CONTADOR (TINKOFF) + 1:23		Alberto Contador remains 2nd overall, but 8s back of new race leader Quintana
5th Tejay VAN GARDEREN (BMC RACING) and 6th Pieter WEENING (ROOMPOT - ORANJE PELOTON) + 1:36	8th Christopher FROOME (SKY) + 1:45	This morning's race leader and yesterday Stage winner, DanMARTIN (ETIXX - QUICK STEP) was 10th + 1:45 and slips to 4th overall + 24s
11th Hugh CARTHY (CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA) + 1:54	12th and 13th Winner Anacona and Rigoberto Uran + 2:09	14th Joaquin RODRIGUEZ (KATUSHA) + 2:15
15th Fabio ARU (ASTANA) + 2:21 and 16th Imanol ERVITI (MOVISTAR)	Here is what Alberto Contador had to say post race (Video)	Your Stage 4 / Queen Stage winner, Thomas De Gendt (Lotto Soudal)
		New race leader, Nairo QUINTANA (MOVISTAR)
	17:41:51 174151_7R9A5697.jpg	17:43:27 174327_7R9A5707.jpg
17:45:14 174514_7R9A5716.jpg	17:45:23 174523_7R9A5721.jpg	New best young rider, British rider Hugh CARTHY (CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA)

Stage 5:  Rialp → Valls, 187 km  Full Results and Report

Wouter POELS (SKY) checks the winning gap to his break mates (11s)		Wouter POELS (SKY) celebrates his successful solo attack after a hectic Stage 5
	2nd Dario CATALDO (ASTANA) + 11s, 3rd Gaetan BILLE (WANTY - GROUPE GOBERT), 4th Kanstantsin SIUTSOU (DIMENSION DATA)	Simon GERRANS (ORICA GreenEDGE) wins the field sprint for 6th + 33s ahead of 7th Aleksei TCATEVICH (KATUSHA)
Alberto Contador finished with the other GC contenders in the Gerrans group	16:39:21 163921_7R9A5812.jpg	Richie Porte Australia and Rigoberto Uran
Chris Froome
Your Stage 5 winner, Wouter POELS (SKY)	A successful day for Team Sky in Belgium and Spain	Crowd reflection
Nairo Quintana was all smiles despite the small bonus gain by Contador today		Race leader, Nairo Quintana, will take a 7s lead into stage 6
	Yesterday's Stage winner, Thomas De Gendt (Lotto Soudal) holds the mountains and Intermediate jerseys
Best young rider Hugh Carth

Stage 6:  Sant Joan Despí → Vilanova i la Geltrú, 197 km  Full Results and Report

Stephane Roset (Cofidis) is a proper looking classic cyclist	Chris Froome (Sky) is thinking ahead to the Tour de France	Crowd favorite Alberto Contador
	No chance to enjoy the view of the sea; the early break
Hugh Carthy (GB/Caja Rural) in the white best young rider jersey		Ilnur Zakarin (Russia/Katusha) next to Chris Froome
Yesterday's winner, Wouter Poels		200m to go: Break rider, Cameron Meyer (Dimension Data) about to be caught
Caught with 75m to go	The sprint finish takes over in full flight at Vilanova i la Geltrú
	Davide CIMOLAI (LAMPRE - MERIDA) wins Stage 6 ahead of 2nd Nikias ARNDT (GIANT - ALPECIN), 3rd Tosh VAN DER SANDE (LOTTO SOUDAL), 4th Simon GERRANS (ORICA GreenEDGE)	Quintana and Contado finished in the pack
Richie Porte and Dani Navarro	CCC showing well all week	Hugh Carthy
Nairo Quintana cooling down		Your Stage 6 winner, Davide CIMOLAI (LAMPRE - MERIDA)
Great trophy! A prize possession now.
Nairo Quintana still lead by 7s	Nairo Quintana joined by the winner of the cadet race before the main event today	Thomas De Gendt still holds mountains and intermediate sprint jerseys
17:48:32 Thomas De Gendt still holds mountains and intermediate sprint jerseys 174832_7R9A6390.jpg

Stage 7:  Barcelona, 136 km  Full Results and Report

Barcelona city start scenes st 7 volta a catalunya		Chris Froome signing autographs at stage start
st6 stage winner davide cimolai italy lampre smiling at stage start	Fabio Aru Italy Astana	pre race interview for Alberto Contador Spain Tinkoff
	Gastauer of AG2R chatting at the startline	Nairo Quintana race leader at the start
in front of catalan flag ribbon	st7 rollout
first climb of montjuic for the breakaway	main peloton led by CCC and movistar first climb	victor de la parte sain of ccc leads quintana's movistar team in main peloton
	Chris Froome GB Sky just ahead of Alberto Contador Spain Tinkoff on first pass of montjuic	and Luis Mas of Caja Rural lead on the second lap
Quintana marking Contador	Luis Mas Caja Rural strikes out on his own for a lap of Montjuic	Matej Mohoroc Slo Lampre team also tries to escape alone
	Contador left and Dan Martin in white move to head of the main favourites group up Montjuic	Quintana on the right watches them
		Fabio Aru Italy Astana tries to escape from the peloton with an attack too
Warren Barhuil France Giant Alpecin tries to follow Aru		Chris Froome GB Sky pulls a face near the top of Montjuic
	3 man chase of Mohoric Primo Roglio Lotto Jumbo and eventual winner Aleksei Tcatevich Russia Katusha follow a Lotto Soudal rider	Movistar up the pace on the 5th and 6th laps closing teh gap and breaking the peloton
	Froome following Quintana	Dani Navarro attacks the main peloton with Rodriguez and others
Tejay Van Garderen USA BMC takes a final drink	chase group behind the 2 riders that have escaped	Peloton on final lap
and Primo Boglic SLO Lotto Jumbo is behind him		Aleksei TCATEVICH (KATUSHA) beats Primož ROGLIC (LOTTO NL - JUMBO)
	3rd Jarlinson PANTANO GOMEZ (IAM CYCLING)	Contador crosses the line with Quintana and Martin
Nairo Quintana Colombia Movistar heads back to the podium
Your Stage 7 winner, Aleksei Tcatevich Russia Katusha
Thomas De Gendt takes mountains and intermediate sprint jerseys	Hugh Carthy GB Caja Rural takes young riders jersey
Joaquim Rodriguez spain katusha team takes top catalan rider	Dan Martin Ireland Etixx Quick step takes 3rd place in GC	Alberto Contador Spain Tinkoff takes 2nd place in GC
Nairo Quintana Colombia Movistar wins volt a catalunya
	Your 2016 overall podium: 2nd CONTADOR, Alberto (TINKOFF) + 7s, 1st QUINTANA, Nairo (MOVISTAR) 30:50:19, 3rd MARTIN, Daniel (ETIXX - QUICK STEP) + 17s	BMC take the team prize
BMC stage impromptu bouquet throwing competition	the jersey wearers de gendt carthy quintana and rodriguez	So long from the 2016 Volta a Catalunya