Australia wins Tour of Catalonia

DESPITE a strong performance from Spanish cyclist Alejandro Valverde, it was Richie Porte and the Australian team who went on to win by four seconds in the Tour of Catalonia on Sunday.

The critical part of the 126.6-kilometre, seven-day circuit took place on the fourth stage, when Porte made an excellent finish on the hilly last section. This has been a superb season for Porte, who won the Paris-Nice title two weeks ago – he also finished well in Australia at the beginning of the season, coming second.

In a press conference after the race Porte summed up by saying, “It’s pretty unbelievable to be honest; it’s capped off a pretty awesome start to the season.”

Spain’s Alejandro Valverde made a strong challenge, winning the third stage of the Catalonia race, but it wasn’t enough to clinch overall victory, finishing second on his home ground.