Volta a Catalunya 2019: The Route

The 2019 Volta a Catalunya is played out from Monday 25 March to Sunday the 31st. With summit finishes in Vallter 2000 and La Molina the third and fourth day of action are probably going to be decisive in terms of the GC. A number of hilly races and opportunities for sprinters round out the route. The Volta a Catalunya does not include a time trial, which is nothing new.

The 1st stage of the Volta a Catalunya is an out-and-back race in Calella since 2012. Mostly running on hilly terrain, still the race often boils down to a sprint finish. Probably we’ll see a different scenario unfold in 2019. Stage 1 takes in five intermediate climbs, three of them 1st category.

The 2nd stage travels from Mataró to Sant Feliu de Guíxols. Three moderate climbs underway, so a sprint finish is a likely scenario.

Stage 3 is another thing altogether. The race runs from Sant Feliu de Guíxols to a high altitude finish in Vallter 2000. The final climb to the ski resort is 12 kilometres and the average gradient is 7.3%. Occasionally the inclination kicks up to 14%.

More high mountains in the 4th stage, as the Volta a Catalunya takes in its traditional summit finish in La Molina. The winner succeeds Alejandro Valverde (2018, 2017), Daniel Martin (2016), Tejay van Garderen (2015) and Joaquim Rodríguez (2014), so it is fair to say the ski resort is a regular host. The final haul up is 9 kilometres at 6% and when the riders move through La Molina the route continues with a short drop and a 2 kilometres climb to the line.

Stage 5 starts at an elevation of 1,120 metres in the Pyrenees and includes a huge climb straight after the start. A long descent then runs to an undulating second part of the race. The finish is in Cugat del Vallès, a suburb of Barcelona.

The 6th stage goes from Valls to another likely sprint finish in Vila-seca.

Traditionally the Volta a Catalunya concludes with a circuit race in Barcelona, that revolves around Alto de Montjuïc. Eight laps with two slopes – 2 kilometres at 5.7% and 700 metres at 6% – before the successor of Alejandro Valverde will be known.

The reigning World Champion also won the race in 2017 and 2009.