Castelldefels is a suburb of Barcelona with a beach a more than 5 kilometres long. Lionel Messi resides here and the Olympic canal of the 1992 Summer Olympics is situated in the town. In fact, the 3rd stage of the Volta a Catalunya starts near the so-called Canal Olímpic de Catalunya.
It has been awhile since Castelldefels saw its last pro-peloton. In 2013, Warren Barguil took his first win as a professional on the 13th stage of the Vuelta a España, besting Rinaldo Nocentini and Bauke Mollema.
This time the riders leave from Castelldefels and the race runs to Vallter 2000. The finish climb to the ski station is 11 kilometres long and the average gradient sits at 7.6%.
Last year, Adam Yates outgunned Egan Bernal, Daniel Martin, Nairo Quintana and Miguel Ángel López in a five-up sprint in Vallter. Other winners in the ski station are Tejay van Garderen (2014) and Nairo Quintana (2013).
Originally, Vallter was scheduled as a finish for the 2018 Volta a Catalunya too, but due to harsh weather in the north of Spain the race was shortened in favour of a false flat arrival in Camprodon. Let’s hope snow and cold will not hinder the race in 2021. The high mountains easily turn into a grim and unwelcoming place this early in the season.
The finish in Vallter 2000 is situated at 2,243 metres above sea level.
Volta a Catalunya 2021 stage 3: route, profile, more
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