Tom Pidcock Surprise Sprint against Remco Evenepoel Volta a Catalunya 2026 Stage 1

One of the most stacked start lists this year in terms of GC at the Volta a Catalunya, we've got all the stars here. Vingegaard, Brenco, Almeida, Ciccone, Schielmosa, Lipovitz, Hidcock. Really, really high quality fields. First stage from Sant Feliu de Gijols. They go inland towards Girona to go around some gradual climbs, then come back from Tossa de Mar on the coast road. It doesn't look like much. It doesn't look like a hard stage. Like, the climbs are not that hard, but the coast road, because it's so twisty, because it's so punchy, because there's so many corners, if you get put on a gap and someone's pulling in front, you're gonna have real trouble closing that. The brake was pretty strong with Vistrofa and Bernat. They've both been breakaway specialists so far this year. Ineos controlling for Dorion Godon. Hidcock here off the back of San Remo where he was obviously outstanding. A few centimeters away from the W, but we get to these twisty roads. Bora come to the front keeping even a pool safe. Little Trek seem to be going for Schielmosa. We'll see the rest of their GC guys who I thought they'd have later. Q365 trying to position Pidcock. Visma with Hosing and Lemon trying to position Vingegaard, Mosca on the right here for Trek. And here's the coast road. So they're going to go north, turn left here towards where they started the morning. Duploose on the front when it starts and it's constant twisting. 1k 5% climbs and then really, really fast descents on a pretty good road surface. Very, very beautiful road. If you've driven or ridden it, you'll know that yourself. Much nicer to do it at your own leisurely pace. Javine, good to see him back racing. He was obviously injured by the kangaroo in TDU. He appeared to be working for Almeida. In fact, UAE took really control of the whole final 15k's for Almeida, keeping him in front. Vingegaard had less numbers. Burnett was doing an admirable job trying to stay in front. He's brought back by Ivo Oliveira with 11.2k's to go and it's in a line. UAE squeezing the climbs, kicking out of corners in the downhills. And if you were where Derek G is right now, you are in big, big trouble. I don't know if he was on a bad day like the Tirana opening stage of the Giro last year where he lost time on a, not a GC stage, but a tricky stage nonetheless. Here he's at the back and I don't know if, yeah, he had someone drop the wheel in front of him and then he couldn't close the gap or what, but sometimes you're at the back for a reason. He'd lose nearly two minutes. Ciccone also drops, so it appeared to be all in for Skelmos for GC for Little Trek, which I guess makes sense. But Ciccone was good in Catalonia against Roglic a couple of years ago, I think. Bahrain surge to the front. They're going for Santiago Buitrago. He sometimes won, actually, on punchy finishes like this in Burgos when he's anticipated. And you really want to enter this descent coming up in good position. Piganzoldi gets squeezed off Vingegaard's wheel. He can't get back up there. So Vingegaard, somewhat curiously, he does the entire descent himself in front, although did it cost him that much? They were mainly freewheeling and, in fact, in previous years this descent has been pushed much more. Alpecin with Del Grosso nearly won last year by going solo on this descent. Remko was with him. He's also not interested in taking huge risks or pushing this descent. Importantly for Ineos, Godin entered the descent fourth wheel. So Godin, he didn't have to fight. Look, it's only 1,800 meters left when they get onto the flat section and it's only a k till the climb starts. Godin didn't have to fight to make up positions here, which would be very, very difficult. You see the NSN rider having to do that. This is a very interesting corner. Two Alpecin in front, one Alpecin behind. I think it might be Ulrich. And they have the opportunity to drop the wheel and flick Godin in this corner. Vingegaard then also, over that grate, reacts strongly to it. He takes the corner badly. Remko then, I think, has to break in response to Vingegaard taking the corner slower than he expected. And then there's suddenly gaps forming. And yeah, I was thinking, if this Alpecin rider here, if he drops the wheel, Godin might have been in a bit of trouble because he has his two riders in front. But Alpecin wait a little bit after Koos has finished. It's still 1,200 meters to go. So the drop the wheel tactic and letting the wheel go and maybe a rider go up ahead, it's effective on this stage. That's how Nick Schultz won ahead of Pogacar in 23. It's how Del Grosso nearly won last year. It didn't happen this year, but there was the potential for it to happen. It looks like Stewart brings up Brady Gilmore, but a little bit too early. That's 500 meters to go. This sprint takes forever. And it sometimes catches riders and GC or sprinters by surprise. Godin is patient. He's come top 10 here twice before. I think he could have been better last year when, if Decathlon actually gave him a lead up, two Decathlon riders both sprinted simultaneously. And as well, he was caught behind. Brendan Groves and Del Grosso were ahead. Pidcock launches at 400. A little bit too early. Remco goes out of the wheel. Godin's tracking him. It seems to level off over the pedestrian crossing. 180 meters still to go. It's a long uphill sprint. We've got to see Remco and San Remo next year. He could have won yet on Saturday, I reckon. Godin comes out of the wheel with 100 to go. Looks like he's going to cruise past Remco Evenepoel with stages won by Michael Matthews and Brendan before, but does the early celebration. Gilmore got left a bit flat-footed. Nearly takes out the Astana rider. Antoine Lote was in good position for Decathlon, but Godin was the most patient. Pidcock jumped too early. Remco jumped. Maybe he could have let Pidcock go a little bit longer and jumped around him at 200. But Godin was really strong. He won his biggest race ever at Paris-Nice, if you don't count Brabant-Cepeil early about a couple of weeks ago. And now he adds another world tour race here. Although if you celebrate too early on an uphill finish, you will lose momentum very, very quickly whilst Remco pedals through the line. But it was enough. How many? I don't know. That's not half a wheel. It's less than half a wheel. Godin wins ahead of Evenepoel, Pidcock, Silva was the Astana rider, Gualdi, Martinez, Racani, Noviero, Ulrich, Only and Antoine Lote. Here's what Godin had to say. It was very hard. Maybe less hard than last year, but with a big bunch at the end because it was Edwin who won the coast. And they start sprinting at 400 meters to go. It was so long. And then I passed Remco too early. I think it's better to wait a bit, but it was so hard. The last 50 meters, it was one hour for me. I still have to recover. So yeah, I'm very happy. It's like I studied physiotherapist in Spain, in Girona. It's my second hometown. So I'm super happy to win in front of friends. And yeah, I deserve it. Tomorrow, we have a more straightforward sprint stage. I think, yes, it's a little bit uphill, but it's not as hard as this stage. So I think Ethan Vernon's the favorite tomorrow. He's got the best lead out. I think Vernon wins ahead of Godin third.