Primoz Roglic extended his lead in the Tour of Catalunya on Friday by dropping his key rival Remco Evenepoel on the upper slopes of the final climb of the day.
Roglic lost out to Evenepoel at the Tour of Spain last season and the pair are using this race as a warm up for their big showdown at the Giro d'Italia.
One of Evenepoel's main strengthes is acceleration sustained over a long stretch that few in cycling can live with, but on Friday, Roglic won with his own trademark, a short, late acceleration near the finish line.
??Reviu l'últim quilòmetre de l'etapa 5? de la #VoltaCatalunya102 amb la gran victòria de @rogla per davant de @EvenepoelRemco!
— Volta a Catalunya (@VoltaCatalunya) March 24, 2023
??Relive the last K of stage 5? of la Volta with the superb victory of @rogla (@JumboVismaRoad) against @EvenepoelRemco (@soudalquickstep)! pic.twitter.com/p6btjWB4vi
There are two stages remaining with Saturday's run largely flat meaning the race will go down to the final sage in downtown Barcelona.
The packed crowds that usually show up will be able to see tha pair slug it out on the repeated climbs of the Montjuic mountain in the Catalan capital.
?? Gaudeix dels millors moments de l'etapa 5 a @terresebretur en un nou duel entre @rogla i @EvenepoelRemco
— Volta a Catalunya (@VoltaCatalunya) March 24, 2023
?? Disfruta de los mejores momentos de la etapa 5 en @terresebretur
?? Enjoy the best moments of stage 5 at @terresebretur pic.twitter.com/TvGgXmg4lq