Volta Ciclista a Catalunya **Spoilers**

[mjr]

Gesink climbs off. Cummings is off the back and I missed why. Gap 49s, 52km to go.

 

[mjr]

Hodeg's blown up, 2.2km to summit, 12.5km to go, peloton leading.

 

[smutchin]

I'm watching on ES player with no commentary. It's weird. Not quite sure what's going on but at 1.43 with 8km to go, it looks like the break will win the day.

 

[smutchin]

Oh, hang on, that's not a break, is it - it's the Hodeg group that's 1.43 behind the peloton... doh!

 

[mjr]

Commentators are mainly whinging about the loss of moto pics anyway.

 

[smutchin]

Valverde wins a bunch sprint! Crikey!

 

[mjr]

Valvpiti wins. Bennett says something but could be congratulations or complaints.

 

[mjr]

Bennett would be unwise to complain too strongly - he was shut out by Valvpiti (as far as I can tell from the front-on shot) but it looked like he shut others out first.

I think commentary said Bennett was unwell yesterday and blamed that for being unable to catch Hodeg.

 

[mjr]

Might have been McCarthy not Bennett. I could have sworn commentary called Bennett.

Hodeg finished about 3min down.

 

[smutchin]

Was it Bennett or McCarthy? In any case, it looked like he was chucking his bike around all over the shop, Adboujaparov style, so he can't complain about anyone else's riding.

Valverde may be an unrepentant doping git but always good to watch, dammit.

 

[smutchin]

Couldn't work out who was the Sky rider up near the front. Looks like it was Bernal - good for him. The Henaos were both right at the back of the bunch going under the flamme rouge.

 

[mjr]

Seems like it was McCarthy. Impey quietly got second in between Valvpiti and him.

At least Valvpiti looks like a doping git, all stubbly, looking around shiftily and giving pretty forgettable interviews.

 

[brommers]

I saw Stevo Cummings loitering at the back of the peloton sauntering up a hill whilst everyone else were out of the saddle. Expect one of his famous solos. You heard it here first.

 

[Adam4868]

Couldn't work out who was the Sky rider up near the front. Looks like it was Bernal - good for him. The Henaos were both right at the back of the bunch going under the flamme rouge.

View: https://twitter.com/taogeoghegan/status/976169318722482176?s=19

 

[mjr]

Stage shortened by bad weather:

View: https://mobile.twitter.com/BORAhansgrohe/status/976452802695303168?p=v