Rudy Molard 15th in the Catalan opener

# Rudy Molard Finishes 15th in Volta a Catalunya Opener

The prestigious Volta a Catalunya has kicked off, highlighting the explosive uphill finish in Sant Feliu de Guíxols that ultimately determined the first leader’s jersey. Dorian Godon claimed victory in a fiercely contested race, while Rudy Molard mounted a commendable late surge to secure a strong fifteenth place.

For the fifth consecutive year, the Volta a Catalunya commenced with a stage centered around Sant Feliu de Guíxols, where the challenging finish—600 meters at a 4% gradient—proved pivotal. Covering 172 kilometers, the route was anticipated to conclude with a reduced bunch sprint, and that expectation was fulfilled. Although a breakaway made an attempt to energize the stage, they never posed a real threat to the peloton, which maintained a swift pace. With approximately twenty kilometers remaining, the fugitives found their thirty-second lead dwindling, as the peloton hardened their efforts and intensified the pace. The last of the breakaway riders was caught with eleven kilometers to go, reducing the group to around seventy riders.

“Rudy was very frustrated,” noted Benoît Vaugrenard, team director.

As the competitors rushed towards the uphill straight, a mix of climbers and sprinters vied for position, with Godon eventually emerging as the winner. Molard’s finishing time placed him fifteenth, but Vaugrenard expressed a sense of missed opportunity: “We were counting on Rudy, who likes this kind of finish. Unfortunately, he got boxed in before the final straight and found himself badly positioned—he was almost fiftieth with 500 meters to go. He made a very strong comeback, but it’s a shame because I think he could maybe have gone for a top five. That’s the small disappointment of the day, and he was very frustrated.”

Despite the challenges, another goal—to ensure teammate Guillaume finished in the same time as the winner—was successfully met. Both Brieuc Rolland and Maxime Decomble joined Molard in finishing within the lead group. Vaugrenard concluded, “Tomorrow, we expect a sprint finish, so we’ll stay cautious, but Wednesday’s stage could be interesting for us.”