L’Escala gets its debut for the stage 2 start. The place lies 50 kilometres south of France and is most famous for its beaches.
The riders travel to Perpignan on a lumpy route. The town in the South of France is deeply Catalan. It lies on a plain where the Pyrenees flatten out to join the Mediterranean Sea.
There are three nearby places to cross the border – the Col des Belitres, Le Perthus or the Col de Coustouges. The Volta a Catalunya takes the first one to continue for 62 kilometers on flat to lumpy terrain to the finish in Perpignan.
Before crossing the Pyrenees the riders tackle the Coll de Sa Perafita (5.1 kilometres at 4.8%) and the Coll del Frare (3.4 kilometres at 5.1%). Right after the descent of the latter they cross into France on the Belitres climb, which is 2.9 kilometres long and averages 5.7%.
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 2 Volta 2022.
Another interesting read: results 2nd stage 2022 Volta a Catalunya.
Volta a Catalunya 2022 stage 2: route, profile, more
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