BARCELONA, Spain — Team Sky rider Richie Porte of Australia hung on to his overnight lead to win the Volta a Catalunya Sunday after the race’s seventh and final stage was won by Alejandro Valverde of Spain.
The stage victory assured Valverde of finishing second overall. The Spaniard held off Bryan Coquard of France and third-place Sergei Chernetski of Russia.
Domenico Pozzovivo of Italy finished third overall after the 127-kilometre (79-mile) final stage in and around Barcelona, edging out one of the pre-race favourites, Alberto Contador.
Porte began the final stage with a five-second lead and stayed in touch within the chasing peloton to add the Volta to his triumph at the Paris-Nice two weeks ago. Porte and Contador look set to be rivals again in May during the Giro d’Italia.
"I can’t be happier to win the Volta," said Porte. "Thanks to Team Sky boys for committing to me all week."
Valverde, who had said he was going to attack and try to overcome Porte’s lead, timed his final sprint to head the leading pack over the finish line and claim his third stage victory this week.
"I can’t complain. Three stage wins and second overall," said Valverde. "I wanted to try to win overall, even if we knew it was going to be difficult. We tried, but there was a heavy headwind."
Porte is the first Australian to win the Volta.