Can anyone stop an on-form Thomas De Gendt?
During Stage 1 of the 2019 Volta a Catalunya, Thomas De Gendt broke away with five other riders in the opening stages of the 165 km (103 mile) stage. Midway through the race, their gap to the field was just four minutes. But that didn’t stop De Gendt from soloing away from his breakaway companions with some 60 km (40 miles) to go, and winning the stage by nearly three minutes.
So what did it take for De Gendt to solo to an incredible stage win?
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Making the Breakaway:
De Gendt averaged 401 W for the first 24 minutes. Hitting a peak of 1321 W, De Gendt made the break with five other riders and drove the pace up the first climb of the day, the Port de Collsacreu. Attacking for the KOM points, De Gendt 1020 W for 16 seconds to win the first sprint of the day. Keep in mind, this is after riding at 418 W for 12 minutes up the climb.
Second KOM:
The monstrous Por de Santa Fe del Montseny took nearly an hour for De Gendt and his breakaway companions to summit. Over this 56-minute effort, De Gendt produced an average of 352 W. The sprint for the KOM was much longer and drawn-out than the first, with De Gendt producing 598 W for over a minute, including a finishing sprint in which he peaked at 1214 W.
Middle of the Race:
In the mostly-downhill middle portion of the stage, De Gendt’s averages just 233 W for about an hour. On the short climbs and roller throughout this section, he rides at a modest 350-360 W for 5-10 minutes at a time.
Breakaway Splinters:
On the brutally steep Alt El Muntanya (1.3 miles at an average of 10.1%), De Gendt really starts pushing the pace, averaging 451 W for over 7 minutes. This multi-part climb then turns into a 2% false flat for 3.5 miles before hitting the Coll Formic, where De Gendt pushes 398 W for 10 minutes.
From the bottom of the Alt El Muntanya to the top of the Coll Formic, averaged 396 W for 34 minutes – this is now three hours into the stage. By the top of the Coll Formic, he is solo.
Holding His Advantage:
After the twisting descent off the Coll Formic, De Gendt enters a false flat portion of the course which leads into the final KOM of the day, the Port de Collsacreu (sound familiar?) Now on his own, De Gendt can time-trial his way to victory; he holds a steady 395 W for 15 minutes over this section of the course.
From the top of the Coll Formic to the top of the Port de Collsacreu is 23 miles. With the Arkea-Samsic and Murias teams chasing hard at the front of the field, De Gendt alone loses only 30 seconds over this part of the course.
Final Kilometers:
From the top of the Port de Collscareu to the finish is just 19 km (11 miles). De Gendt’s advantage is 3 and half minutes at this point, and with mostly downhill roads ahead of him and an unmotivated chase (they realized who they were chasing), there is little chance he will be caught. But instead of riding it in easy, De Gendt continues to push hard on the pedals, riding at 363 W for the last 19 minutes of the race. De Gendt rolls across the finish line nearly three minutes before his nearest chasers. An incredible effort by one of the greatest breakaway specialists of all-time.
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Full Stage: 165 km (103 miles)
Total Time: 4:18:46
Average Speed: 38.5 kph (23.9 mph)
Total Work: 5,024 kJs
Average power: 324 W
Weighted average power: 352 W
Max Power: 1,321 W
Credit: CyclingTips and Strava for stage information and power data