American rider Quinn Simmons edged Pavel Bittner to win stage six of the Volta a Catalunya on Saturday, as dangerous winds forced a major route change.

Home favorite Juan Ayuso retained his one-second lead over Primoz Roglic in the general classification, with Enric Mas remaining in third, 20 seconds back.

Wind Forces Route Change, Neutralized Start

Stage six was expected to be the toughest mountain stage of the race, but severe weather led organizers to significantly modify the route, allowing only 25 kilometers of competitive racing.

The original 159-kilometer ride from Berga to a summit finish at Queralt was replaced with a largely flat loop starting and finishing in Berga.

Visma's 19-year-old Matthew Brennan, who had won two stages earlier in the week, withdrew before the start, with his team citing the need for "some extra rest."

The stage began neutralized due to dangerous winds and remained so until the final 25 kilometers. General classification times were recorded with five kilometers remaining to ensure rider safety.

Simmons Attacks Late To Take Victory

Lidl-Trek’s Simmons launched a late attack and held off Team Picnic–PostNL’s Bittner to secure his first stage win of the race.

UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s Ayuso maintained his narrow lead over 2023 winner Roglic heading into Sunday’s final stage: an 88.2-kilometer ride in Barcelona finishing at the Olympic Stadium atop Montjuïc hill.