In recent years, departure place Mataró has evolved into a regular host. It’s the fourth time in a row that the town serves as the start to a Volta a Catalunya stage. In 2015 and 2016, the riders left for Olot and last year for La Molina in the high mountains.
Now the route travels to Valls, another familiar name in the Volta a Catalunya. In fact, Valls and pro-cycling is a weathered combination. In 2013 the town hosted the Vuelta a España, while in the years 2013-2016 the Catalonian stage race finished here. Wout Poels (2016) and Alejandro Valverde (2015) soloed to victory in the same finale. First the 6.3 kilometres climb up the Coll de Lilla (average gradient at 4.8%) before an 8 kilometres drop and a flat run-in of 2 kilometres to the line. Both Simon Gerrans (2013) and Luka Mezgec (2014) won bunch sprints in Valls.
The 2nd stage of the 2018 Volta a Catalunya begins with 10 kilometres on the flat before the rest of the race is played out on rolling roads. At kilometre 100 the riders enter a false flat section of approximately 25 kilometres. Before the highest point is reached the gradients go up to some 4%. Following a flat intermezzo the riders drop down a long descent to the finale.
The first three riders on the line take time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds, while intermediate sprints (at kilometre 104.7 and at kilometre 146.4) come with 3, 2 and 1 seconds.
Read also: results/race report 2nd stage 2018 Volta a Catalunya.
Volta a Catalunya 2018 stage 2: Route maps, height profiles, and more
Click on the images to zoom
Related articles Favourites - Volta a Catalunya 20 Overview - Volta a Catalunya 20 Stage 7: Simon Yates solos to victory, Alejandro Valverde wins GC - Volta a Catalunya 20 Stage 6: Schachmann bests Rubio in two-up sprint, Valverde still leader - Volta a Catalunya 20 Stage 5: Pantano brings early break home, Valverde still leader - Volta a Catalunya 20 Stage 4: Valverde wins and moves into overall lead - Volta a Catalunya 20 Stage 3: De Gendt solos to leader's jersey - Volta a Catalunya 20 Stage 1: Álvaro José Hodeg sprints to leader's jersey - Volta a Catalunya 20 Route stage 1: Calella - Calella - Volta a Catalunya 20 Route stage 3: Sant Cugat del Vallès - Camprodon - Volta a Catalunya 20 Route stage 4: Llanars - La Molina - Volta a Catalunya 20 Route stage 5: Llívia - Vielha e Mijaran - Volta a Catalunya 20 Route stage 6: La Pobla de Segur - Torrefarrera - Volta a Catalunya 20 Route stage 7: Barcelona - Barcelona - Volta a Catalunya 20 More articles Enter Vuelta pool with 17,500 euros in prize money
Vuelta 2019: The Route
Vuelta 2019: Riders
Vuelta 2019: Favourites
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 1: Las Salinas de Torrevieja - Torrevieja
Vuelta 2019 Favourites stage 1: TTT with red lining
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 2: Benidorm - Calpe
Vuelta 2019 Favourites stage 2: Versatile ride to Calpe
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 3: Ibi – Alicante
Vuelta 2019 Favourites stage 3: Sprinters or daredevil attackers
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 4: Cullera – El Puig
Vuelta 2019 Favourites stage 4: For pure sprinters
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 5: L’Eliana – Javalambre
Vuelta 2019 Favourites stage 5: Mountain goat on steep last climb
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 6: Mora de Rubielos - Ares del Maestrat
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 7: Onda – Mas de la Costa
Vuelta 2019 Favourites stage 7: GC battle on finishing Wall
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 8: Valls – Igualada
Vuelta 2019 Favourites stage 8: Sprinters or (late) attackers
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 9: Andorra la Vella – Cortals d’Encamp
Vuelta 2019 Favourites stage 9: Explosive climb race for GC men
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 10: Jurançon - Pau (ITT)
Vuelta 2019 Favourites stage 10: Roglic for glory
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 11: Saint Palais - Urdax
Vuelta 2019 Favourites stage 11: Sprint of brave attackers
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 12: Circuito de Navarra - Bilbao
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 13: Bilbao - Los Machucos
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 14: San Vicente de la Barquera - Oviedo
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 15: Tineo - Santuario del Acebo
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 16: Pravia - Alto de la Cubilla
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 17: Aranda de Duero - Guadalajara
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 18: Colmenar Viejo – Becerril de la Sierra
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 19: Ávila - Toledo
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 20: Arenas de San Pedro - Plataforma de Gredos
Vuelta 2019 Route stage 21: Fuenlabrada - Madrid
Vuelta a España: Winners and records
Tour of Britain 2019: The Route
Tour of Britain 2019 Route stage 1: Glasgow - Kirkcudbright
Tour of Britain 2019 Route stage 2: Kelso - Kelso
Tour of Britain 2019 Route stage 3: Berwick-upon-Tweed - Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Tour of Britain 2019 Route stage 4: Gateshead - Kendal
Tour of Britain 2019 Route stage 5: Birkenhead - Birkenhead
Tour of Britain 2019 Route stage 6: Pershore ITT
Tour of Britain 2019 Route stage 7: Warwick - Burton Dassett
Tour of Britain 2019 Route stage 8: Altrincham - Manchester
Tour of Britain: Winners and records
World Cycling Championships 2019 Yorkshire: Route ITT - men
World Cycling Championships 2019 Yorkshire: Route road race - women
World Cycling Championships: Winners and records
Vuelta 2019 Favourites stage 6: Breakaway Day
Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec: Winners and records
Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal: Winners and records
History of the Tour of Lombardy
Tour of Lombardy: Winners and records
Tour Down Under 2014 Route stage 1: Nuriootpa - Angaston
