'When are they going to climb over?' - Nightmare as cyclists end up on wrong side of road at Volta a Catalunya

ByJames Walker-Roberts

Updated 22/03/2022 at 18:06 GMT

Mikel Bizkarra (Euskaltel – Euskadi), Joe Dombrowski (Astana) and Cesare Benedetti (Bora–Hansgrohe) ended up on the wrong side of the road at the Volta a Catalunya. The trio eventually had to climb off their bikes and cross back over, with oncoming traffic travelling towards them. Kaden Groves of BikeExchange-Jayco won Stage 2.

There was a hairy moment on Stage 2 of the Volta a Catalunya as several riders ended up on the wrong side of a motorway.

There was 35km remaining in the stage in Perpignan when the bollards down the middle of the road changed to a fixed concrete barrier.

The riders who had been able to get over from the left side of the road suddenly found themselves unable to switch to join the peloton.

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Instead the trio of Mikel Bizkarra (Euskaltel – Euskadi), Joe Dombrowski (Astana) and Cesare Benedetti (Bora–Hansgrohe) were left to cycle alongside oncoming traffic on a road with a speed limit of 110kph.

“They’re the wrong side of the concrete,” said Eurosport commentator Carlton Kirby.

“When are they going to climb over? They will have to stop and do a climb here.”

It seemed like a gap in the barrier was approaching which would have allowed the riders to pass through, but it didn’t materialise.

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“The police are here,” added Kirby.

“They are coming into oncoming traffic which is very dangerous. They were warned a long way out.”

Eventually the trio decided that they would have to climb over the barrier so jumped off their bikes, lifted them over and then continued riding.”

“You don’t see this often in bike racing,” said commentator Brian Smith.

“I think Peter Sagan would have bunny hopped that!”

Volta a Catalunya highlights: Stage 2

Kaden Groves of BikeExchange-Jayco won Stage 2, beating Phil Bahaus (BikeExchange-Jayco) and Hugo Hofstetter (Arkea-Samsic) to the line in a sprint finish.

“I've waited a long time for this, and it feels pretty amazing," Groves said after his win.

"It was pretty tough actually. Some echelons splitting the bunch. It was Michael [Matthews] and I in the front and a lot of other strong teams like Movistar and Jumbo. Simon [Yates] was out the back, and they were using that to their advantage to put some time into him. It was pretty full gas.

"The guys did such a great job all day riding in a good position at the front, making sure the breakaway was close so it could be a sprint today, and also being in position for before the crosswinds.

"I liked this stage, and I picked this stage out to get the victory. I can't believe I've got it. Maybe later in the week we can have another sprint."

Sonny Colbrelli “suffered from an unstable cardiac arrhythmia that required defibrillation” after collapsing at the end of the opening stage of the Volta a Catalunya, according to his team Bahrain Victorious.

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