Just two days after Ethan Vernon (Quick-Step Alfa Vinyl) scored his first career win in a group sprint on the Catalunya pass, his Italian teammate Andrea Bagioli scored his debut victory at the World Tour level on the final stage in Barcelona

Bagioli's victory was the first of his career.

Bagioli had won such prestigious races as the Ronde de l'Isard and the Piccolo Giro di Lombardia as an amateur.

And by the end of 2021, Bazioli had won the Tour de Ain (Primoš Roglic (Jumbo Visma), Coppi e Bartali, and thanks to a solo attack, the Drome Classic in France.

But a WorldTour victory was still out of his grasp until this past Sunday at the Volta a Catalunya, when the toughest riders in the peloton regrouped late in the day and Bazioli took victory in cycling's top racing league.

To his credit, he thought all was lost when Bazioli fell after clearing most of the top favorites, with the exception of Carapaz. But when hesitation began in the last 2km, Carapaz, Nairo Quintana (Arkea-Samsic), and a larger group regrouped at the front.

"I was hoping we could do something today. The last hilly course was perfect for me. On Friday and Saturday, I tried to conserve my energy as much as possible."

"I was dropped on the last Montjuïc climb, but the group came back in the last 900 meters and I was able to win.

"To be honest, when that attack came, I thought I was going to get away with it all the way to the finish. But then (Robert) Gesink (Jumbo-Visma) accelerated hard for (Sam) Omen and everything came together again."

As Bazioli said, such a victory meant a lot to him personally and to the team after a rough start.

"We lost a lot of teammates to illness during the race, but this win and Ethan's win on Friday made this week a good one for us," he concluded.

Bazioli told Tuttobiciweb that he would advance to the Ardennes Classics in April with Julien Alaphilippe racing before heading to the Giro d'Italia in May. But with his victory in Catalunya, the first half of 2022 already looks like a huge success for a young racer like Bazioli.