Volta a Catalunya 2023 Route stage 6: Martorell – Molins de Rei
Both starting and finishing venue have been absent from the Catalan road race for decades. La Volta last visited Martorell in 1994 and Italian Massimo Donati took the spoils in the stage, that both started and finished in the town on the confluence of l’Anoia and El Lobregat.
Martorell and Molins de Rei are both situated on the river El Lobregat and it's only 15 kilometres from A to B. Obviously, the riders take a detour. In fact, the riders start out in the opposite way. The route goes on northwesterly direction on lumpy terrain. The first 70 kilometres go predominantly uphill before the subsequent 60 kilometres are the mirror image.
The only KOM climb of the day appears in the last 30 kilometres. The Alt de Creu d’Aragall is a 5.6 kilometres test with an average gradient of 6%. The riders fly downhill to enter a flat 10 kilometres long run-in to the line.
The Volta a Catalunya visited Molins de Rei once before. Twenty years ago it served as the starting venue of a 13.1 kilometres ITT to Vallvidrera, a neighbourhood of the Sarrià-Sant Gervasi district of Barcelona. That stage was won by José Antonio Pecharromán ahead of Roberto Heras.
The first three riders on the line gain time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds, while intermediate sprints come with 3, 2 and 1 seconds.
Ride the route yourself? Download GPX stage 6 Volta 2023.
Another interesting read: results 6th stage 2023 Volta a Catalunya.
