Tadej Pogacar wins the second stage of the Volta a Catalunya from Mataró to Vallter 2000 (186.5km) and takes the lead in the general classification.

Jimmy Janssens (Alpecin-Deceunick), the last survivor of a breakaway of 6 riders, approaches the final ascent, under heavy rain, with a 2' lead over the group led by the men of UAE Team Emirates.

With 7 km to go, only nine remain in the main group which, in the meantime, had caught up with Janssens.

A couple of kilometers later Tadej Pogacar attacks and manages to make the gap . Behind him a small group forms consisting of Martinez, Landa, Harper, Bernal, Almeida and Vlasov.

Pogacar easily triumphs alone at the finish line of Vallter 2000, while behind him the fight for second place is exciting with Landa sprinting repeatedly and only Vlasov able to keep up with the Basque.

Landa extends his lead again towards the end and precedes the Russian by a few meters for second place, 1'22" behind Pogacar.

Almeida, Martinez, Mas and Bernal hold their own. So-so Sepp Kuss, while Simon Yates collapses, confirming the terrible form of the first stage, and Uijtdebroeks.

ARRIVAL ORDER:

1 POGAČAR Tadej UAE Team Emirates 4:52:38

2 LANDA Mikel Soudal Quick-Step 1:22

3 VLASOV Aleksandr BORA - hansgrohe ,,

4 ALMEIDA João UAE Team Emirates 1:35

5 MARTINEZ Lenny Groupama - FDJ 1:41

6 HARPER Chris Team Jayco AlUla 1:43

7 BERNAL Egan INEOS Grenadiers 1:46

8 MAS Enric Movistar Team,,

9 POELS Wout Bahrain - Victorious 2:03

10 DÍAZ José Manuel Burgos - BH ,,

Photo: Sprint Cycling Agency