So near but so far. The grimace and shake of his head as Tadej Pogačar crossed the finish line a scant ten metres behind Volta a Catalunya stage 1 winner Nick Schultz said it all about his frustration at a painfully close miss.
The UAE Team Emirates rider later said he had hesitated just a fraction too long when Schultz bolted out of the pack on the long, draggy rise to the finish at San Feliu de Guixols. The Slovenian closed down the gap to the bare minimum, but he ran out of road just as it seemed like he would catch his prey.
