Ineos Grenadiers resolute despite Porte abandon at Volta a Catalunya

SANT FELIU DE GUIXOLS SPAIN MARCH 21 Richie Porte of Australia and Team INEOS Grenadiers competes in heavy rain during the 101st Volta Ciclista a Catalunya 2022 Stage 1a 171km stage from Sant Feliu de Guxols to Sant Feliu de Guxols VoltaCatalunya101 WorldTour on March 21 2022 in Sant Feliu de Guixols Spain Photo by David RamosGetty Images
Richie Porte (Ineos Grenadiers) at Volta a Catalunya (Image credit: Getty Images)

Ineos Grenadiers remained upbeat at the 2022 Volta a Catalunya despite their untimely loss of Richie Porte on stage 2, with the unwell Australian veteran having to quit some 50 kilometres from the line.

A former Volta Catalunya winner and recent top five finisher in Tirreno-Adriatico, Porte was one of multiple cards the British squad planned to play in the GC battle at the seven day race. But as sports director Brett Lancaster told Cyclingnews, after getting through Monday’s opening stage with the main pack, things went awry for Porte on Tuesday.

Alasdair Fotheringham

Alasdair Fotheringham has been reporting on cycling since 1991. He has covered every Tour de France since 1992 bar one, as well as numerous other bike races of all shapes and sizes, ranging from the Olympic Games in 2008 to the now sadly defunct Subida a Urkiola hill climb in Spain. As well as working for Cyclingnews, he has also written for The IndependentThe GuardianProCycling, The Express and Reuters.