It was the first crack at mountains in Volta a Catalnya’s third stage and although the weather was more favorable Wednesday, the climbs, descents and numerous crashes threw turmoil into the race and left many GC rivals in disarray.

Trek Factory Racing’s Haimar Zubeldia and Riccardo Zoidl joined many other GC hopefuls on the short-end of the stick that resulted from crashes disrupting the nature of the race. The first crash saw Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) go down at the start of the category-two climb, and the next troublesome melee was when four or five riders catapulted over a roadside barrier on the ensuing descent.

“I feel good, but I have to say that the peloton is strong here,” explained Zubeldia about the abnormal and fast race this year to the Trek website. “The two first category climbs were full gas, and also when [Alejandro] Valverde crashed in between, it changed the race, and we were full gas to the finale. I feel I am improving, but not enough to stay in the front.”

Zoidl echoed Zubeldia’s words: “In the second-to-last climb there was a big crash on the downhill and the peloton split there and me and Haimar were in the second group.  When we arrived to the last climb I didn’t have the legs anymore. I thought I felt good, but the speed this year is very, very high; for me there was nothing more I could do.”

A group of seven formed over the day’s final category-one climb and tricky descent while behind a furious chase ensued on the long downhill into Girona. With numerous GC rivals crashing on downhills, and others cracking on uphills, the overall leaderboard threatened a huge overhaul.

However, the fierce pace set by the chasing second group minimized damage to a mere reshuffle: Pierre Rolland (Europcar) arrived with group two only 22 seconds later and took over the leader’s jersey as his first day breakaway compatriots came in with group three and dropped to second and third in the overall classification.

Domenico Pozzovivo (AG2R-La Mondial) won the stage, attacking out of the leaders in the final kilometer and soloing across the line.

With the time gap to the Rolland still significant, it will be a full-on war again for tomorrow’s summit finish. It may be the final chance for some to wrestle the jersey from the Frenchman after the first day’s mishap, but perhaps more attainable are the next two podium steps that have drawn within reach after today.

Haimar Zubeldia sits in 42nd overall and Riccardo Zoidl 47th.

“I think tomorrow will be a lot of the same as today,” added Zubeldia. “Tinkoff-Saxo will continue to make the race hard until the last climb, and we can only try and follow and do our best. We will see.”

“Tomorrow I hope to have a better finish,” Zoidl agreed. “It depends on what gap I will have, but after tomorrow I may look to try something in a stage where I can try and go for a win.”