MADRID, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) retook the lead of the Volta a Catalunya cycling race Friday through tactical ingenuity.
The Spaniard began the day second overall behind Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe) but gained a crucial bonus second by overtaking the Slovenian in an intermediate sprint, moving one second clear.
Roglic appeared to time his sprint well but eased off too early, allowing Ayuso to snatch the decisive bonus.
The 165.9km stage from Pauls to Amposta featured a third-category climb early before flattening for the final 35km. A strong headwind split the peloton in the closing kilometers, setting up a reduced sprint won by 19-year-old Matthew Brennan (Visma-Lease a Bike).
Brennan, who claimed Monday's opening stage and placed second in Stage 2, launched his winning move inside the final 100 meters, finishing a bike length clear.
Saturday's penultimate stage between Berga and Queralt includes two first-category climbs and a special-category ascent, concluding atop the first-category Queralt climb.
With Ayuso and Roglic separated by just one second, the stage could prove decisive, though the overall title may hinge on Sunday's final circuits in Barcelona's Montjuic. ■
