FILE
Australian Michael Matthews sprinted to victory on the opening stage of the Tour of Catalunya on Monday, edging out Italian Sonny Colbrelli in a slight up-hill finish.
The BikeExchange rider claimed his first win since 2020 and took the early race lead.
The 31-year-old Matthews, who won the Tour de France points classification in 2017, beat Colbrelli as the pair powered away from the peloton in the closing stages after a 171km ride to Sant Feliu de Guixols.
Frenchman Quentin Pacher crossed the line in third.
The success continued Matthews' recent return to form after his fourth-place finish in the Milan-San Remo at the weekend.
Tuesday's second stage will be a 202.5km ride from L'Escala to Perpignan as the race moves into France.
AFP