UAE Team Emirates’ Roberto Ferrari produced a stunning display to finish fifth on stage six of the Volta a Catalunya on Saturday.
It was Ferrari’s second such finish in the race having finished fifth on stage one.
Quick Step Floors’ Maximilian Schachmann won the 117km stage from Vielha–Val d’Aran to Torrefarrera.
The German outsprinted his breakaway partner Spain’s Diego Rubio, to finish first in 2 hours, 34 minutes and 25 seconds after the stage had earlier been cut from 194 to 117 kms due to heavy snow in the Pyrenees.
It was a commendable performance nonetheless from Ferrari – with his best performances of the season coming in Spain this week.
He said: “We hope that the peloton could bridge the gap from the leading duo, but the two attackers demonstrated they were very strong, succeeding in reaching the arrival.
“The sprint for the third place was very fast, I was in the best position until -200 mt, then I lost some metres in the final bend and the best I could do was the fifth place.”
Movistar’s Alejandro Valverde retained the top spot overall, leading by 16 seconds heading into the seventh and final stage.
Valverde leads Egan Bernal (Team Sky) and Movistar team-mate Nairo Quintana, both of Colombia, with the latter 26 seconds back.
Sunday’s final stage offers ample opportunity to several types of escape and culminates in seven climbs of Barcelona’s iconic Montjuic, where the final top ten overall standings could take a considerable shake up.
Meanwhile, UAE Team Emirates star Fabio Aru has been given the all-clear from medics after undergoing an MRI on his leg in Barcelona.
It was announced on Friday before that the Italian was withdrawing from the Volta a Catalunya because of leg pain he suffered in a crash on the first stage.
After losing significant time on stages four and five, the rider and team decided it was best to pull out of the race and undergo further tests.
Aru said: “This hematoma caused me pain and to continue riding on it would have been harmful. The most important thing is that it is not a serious issue and that after a few days of rest, I can leave for home.
“This inconvenience has negatively affected my performance in Spain, but will not affect my approach to the Giro d’Italia. A few days of rest and then I will put my head down and push on with my schedule.”
