Chris Froome admits he's still 'finding his legs' in Volta a Catalunya
Tour de France champion Chris Froome couldn't match the pace of his rivals in Wednesday's mountain finale


After Team Sky set the pace into the final climb in Wednesday's Volta a Catalunya stage, many were expecting the British squad's Chris Froome to go for the stage win.
However, the 2015 Tour de France champion looked off the pace of some of his rivals and lost time to general classification hopefuls Alberto Contador (Tinkoff), Romain Bardet (Ag2r), Nairo Quintana (Movistar), Richie Porte (BMC) and stage winner Dan Martin (Etixx-QuickStep) in the finale to La Molina.
The Spanish stage race is Froome's first major outing in Europe this season, and he said that he's still finding his form after a winter of racing in Australia and then a training block in South Africa.
"The team were super strong all day but unfortunately we didn't finish the job off in the final," Froome said on Team Sky's website. "This is my first race back at WorldTour level and I'm still finding my legs."
>>> Dan Martin times it right to win stage three of Volta a Catalunya and take race lead
Sky's Wout Poels put in an early attack on the final ascent but was soon reeled back in. Froome then matched some of the subsequent attacks, but it was Quintana's move that he seemed to be unable to react to.
When Martin's stage-winning attack splintered the lead group, Froome found himself riding with Ilnur Zakarin (Katusha) as the other favourites moved ahead.
Froome was keen not to dismiss his, or the team's, overall aspirations in the race after this first mountain test.
"Tomorrow is a new day though and we've still got a lot to race for with myself, Geraint [Thomas] and Wout [Poels] still in contention.
"It's been great being back with the guys again. There's a great atmosphere in this team and hopefully we can build on that. We've still got a few days to go and we want to play a part in this race."
Today's stage four takes the riders from Bagà to a summit finish on Port Ainé, with an ascent and descent of Port de Cantó around 60km before the finish.
Martin leads the race after his stage three victory, and sits six seconds ahead of Contador overall. Froome is in eighth place at 22 seconds and Thomas in 10th at 28 seconds. Fellow British rider Hugh Carthy (Caja Rural) is in 12th spot after finishing in 10th place on Wednesday.
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, n exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.
-
-
How many rest days should a cyclist take each week?
We all know we need rest, but the specifics aren't always so black and white
By Michelle Arthurs-Brennan • Published
-
Motorway cyclist arrested for suspected possession of Class A drugs
The rider was on the M3 in the early hours of the morning
By Michelle Arthurs-Brennan • Published
-
Chris Froome eager to lose weight after 'baptism of fire' at Coppi e Bartali
The Briton admitted he was 2kg overweight after the Italian race, while confirming he will race the Tour of the Alps
By Ryan Dabbs • Published
-
Chris Froome confirmed to race Tour of the Alps
Organisers announced the Briton's involvement for just his second race of 2022
By Ryan Dabbs • Published
-
Have you heard the one about why Australian track riders dye their hair blonde? Ineos Grenadiers's Luke Plapp reveals all as he seeks world track and road glory
The Ineos Grenadiers youngster is expected to be one of the peloton's strongest time triallists in the ensuing seasons
By Chris Marshall-Bell • Published
-
Tom Pidcock and Geraint Thomas to make season debuts at Volta ao Algarve
David Gaudu, Remco Evenepoel and Tobias Foss will also race in Portugal from tomorrow
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Who is Kim Heiduk, Ineos Grenadiers' young German signed to bolster their sprint and Classics options?
The 21-year-old spent three years at the U23 team Lotto-Kern Haus
By Chris Marshall-Bell • Published
-
Surprise: Egan Bernal posts video of himself walking unaided following crash
Colombian has returned home for rehab after spending two weeks in hospital after his collision
By Adam Becket • Published
-
'It’s like being born again': Egan Bernal on being alive after crash
Ineos Grenadiers rider says his life changed in a second, as he is released from hospital after crash
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Egan Bernal leaves hospital in Colombia two weeks after training crash
Ineos Grenadiers rider now faces "long" rehabilitation, no complications reported
By Adam Becket • Published