BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Primoz Roglic held off a challenge from Remco Evenepoel to win the Catalonia Volta in the Slovenian’s second victory since returning from surgery on his left shoulder.
Roglic finished the week-long race six seconds ahead of Evenepoel, who narrowly won Sunday’s seventh stage.
The Jumbo-Visma leader defended several attacks from Evenepoel through the hilly finish of the 135.8-kilometer (84-mile) stage, which started and finished in Barcelona. Evenepoel went ahead at the end with Roglic crossing the finish line right behind the Belgian. Marc Soler was third, nearly a minute back.
Roglic’s victory in northeast Spain came two weeks after he won the week-long Tirreno-Adriatico race in Italy, making a triumphant return after withdrawing from both the Spanish Vuelta and Tour de France last year.
Roglic will likely face Evenepoel again at the three-week Giro d’Italia starting on May 6.
Evenepoel won the Spanish Vuelta and the world championship last year. Roglic had won the previous three Vuelta editions before he crashed out of the 2022 race.
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