By Stephen Gallagher
Racing may be underway about a month for most of the big pro teams but in Europe the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana offered the first real climbing challenge of the new season.
After the winter break the pro riders saw their form tested on the short climb to the finish of Thursday's stage 2 followed by a longer 5km climb at the conclusion of Saturday’s stage 4.
On the 5km climb to the summit finish at the end of 170km
of racing from Calp to Altea-Sierra de Bernia, Tadej Pogačar (UAE-Team
Emirates) was best after also winning stage 2.
He attacked with almost half the final climb remaining on stage 4 and rode the remainder of the ascent, towards stage victory at the leader’s jersey, just seconds ahead of a group of chasers that included Ireland’s Dan Martin (Israel Start-Up Nation).
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Pogačar did 6.48w/kg, averaging 422w for 18:28min. Anyone aiming to be in the top 15 on the stage needed to produce at least 6 w/kg on the final climb.
This was at the end of a very hard day on which most of the peloton rode at 4.5w/kg for four hours prior to the summit finish.
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On the stage's first climb – the 6.5km Col de Rates averaging 5.4 per cent – Pogačar rode 393 watts average for 13:33, or 5.95kg/w.
Later in the stage, on a 38.2km undulating stretch, he did an average of 292 watts for 1hour 18mins, or 4.42w/kg.
In the final hour of racing before the last climb, Pogačar averaged 46.2km per hour; averaging 271 watts or 4.11w/kg.
Once the riders hit that final ascent Pogačar rode at 474
watts for 4:29, or 7.18w/kg, before a 3:28 period at an average of 420 watts or
6.36w/kg.
He then attacked on the hardest section, which was 16.5 per cent, and rode for 2:02 at 474 watts or 7.18w/kg. The last kilometre took 4:51 and was ridden at an average of 415 watts or 6.29w/kg.
That compared to Jack Haig (Micthelton-Scott), who carried the yellow jersey into the final stage, riding the last 1km in a slightly faster 4:44 at an average of 450 watts or 6.43w/kg.
The graphic below is by Dig Deep coach Philipp Diegner and you can make it larger by clicking on it.
Tadej Pogačar data stage 4
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