Cycling: Catalonia: Valverde wins overall, Schachmann wins penultimate stage

The Spaniard Alejandro Valverde has won the Catalonia Tour as last year. The professional cyclist from Team Movistar maintained his overall lead on the seventh and final leg after Barcelona, but also benefited from a heavy crash of Egon Bernal from Colombia, who had previously finished second. Simon Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) from Great Britain won the final leg after 154.8 km.

From a German point of view, Maximilian Schachmann won the 98. Issue of the traditional tour provided. The Berliner from the Belgian team Quick-Step Floors celebrated his first victory as a professional on the penultimate leg to Torrefarrera: “I will always remember this day,” said the 24-year-old. So far, two World Championship silver medals in the U23 time trial had been the greatest successes in Schachmann’s career.

Schachmann had already completed a remarkable first professional year in 2017 with respectable results, which, however, was prematurely ended after a complicated break on the right foot during the Tour of Poland in August. The shape has been good all spring,” he said.

The 37-year-old Valverde won his third Catalonia triumph after 2009 and 2017. With a 29-second gap to Valverde, who made an astonishing comeback after a broken kneecap on the last Tour de France, Colombian Nairo Quintana secured a Movistar double victory.