Darwin Atapuma, the top climber of UAE Team Emirates, finished 13th in the overall General Classification at the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya, with Alejandro Valverde of Movistar clinching the title.
The seven day event concluded on Sunday with the final stage held in the Catalan capital of Barcelona.
Valverde, whose time of 25 hours, 27 minutes and 15 seconds earned the Spaniard the GC title, was joined on the podium by compatriots Alberto Contador of Team Trek-Segafredo and Marc Soler, his Movistar teammate.
Trailing Valverde by five minutes and 39 seconds, Atapuma was the highest-placed UAE Team Emirates rider, and the Colombian said he was “quite satisfied” to be inside the top 15.
“I feel that I could’ve done better, however,” he added. “With every stage, my performance improved and this was good, especially because I started the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya straight after racing for a few days.”
UAE Team Emirates next compete at the Three Days of De Panne, starting on Tuesday and concluding on Thursday, The Tour of Flanders on Sunday, and at the Vuelta al Pais Vasco from Monday, April 3 until Saturday, April 9.
“In our line-up we had good climbers and, in turn, they managed to demonstrate their skills,” Sporting Director Orlando Maini said. “Atapuma was our best rider placing in the top 15, which is great. That was no easy feat, because the team Time Trial had given advantage to other teams. Darwin demonstrated that despite having raced for few days in the season, his form is pretty good and his determination is solid.”
* Agencies
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