Bart De Clercq conquered the leader’s jersey in the Volta a Catalunya today. The fourth stage, the queen stage, started in Tona and had a summit finish at La Molina.

It was on that final climb that Tom Danielson and Riccardo Zoidl, the last of the escapees, were reeled in by the GC riders. Tejay van Garderen won the stage. Bart De Clercq crossed the finish line as nineteenth, at 47 seconds. The Lotto Soudal rider moved up from the third to the first place in GC. He takes over the leader’s jersey from Pierre Rolland who lost several minutes today. De Clercq has 21 seconds lead on Richie Porte and 26 seconds on Domenico Pozzovivo. There are three stages left to go in Catalunya.

“Before the start of this race I had never thought I would wear the leader’s jersey after the fourth stage," he said. "In the first stage the peloton gave the break I was in a big  advantage, but now I will do all I can to grab this opportunity with both hands. I’m not used to leading the overall classification, but I’ll have to be really attentive the next days, follow my opponents and defend the jersey with all I got. The condition is good, I don’t have to be afraid of that.

“Yesterday I was angry at myself because I had lost contact with the first group in the descent and lost precious time. That’s why I was 100% motivated to set things straight in the queen stage. I climbed well, I could maintain a position in front, also on the climb of 21 kilometres I kept riding in tenth to fifteenth position. When the tempo was raised, Rolland was dropped, but I could follow. On the last climb there were attacks, as expected. I hung on to the same tempo and that way I could control the damage.”

Lotto Soudal lost a second man today. Thomas De Gendt crashed twice in the beginning of the stage and abandoned the race. He incurred abrasions and bruises. Louis Vervaeke didn’t appear at the start of the fourth stage after yesterday’s crash. A CT scan today didn’t show any fractures of wrist, hand or fingers but his hand is severely bruised. Vervaeke hopes to start training again very soon.