Volta a Catalunya 2025 Route stage 3: Viladecans – La Molina

Wednesday 26 March – On the third day of action, the riders tackle a 218.6-kilometre route to La Molina, the second most frequented finish in the past eleven editions after Barcelona. The final 12.1 kilometres feature a 4.3% gradient, which might not seem too daunting, but considering the stage includes nearly 5,100 metres of total elevation gain, it becomes a more formidable challenge.

La Molina hosted stage finishes from 2014 to 2019, with Miguel Ángel López (2019), Alejandro Valverde (2018, 2017), Daniel Martin (2016), Tejay van Garderen (2015), and Joaquim Rodríguez (2014) celebrating victories in the Pyrenean ski resort.

After a brief hiatus, La Molina returned to the race itinerary in 2022, inspiring Ben O’Connor to a solo triumph. The Australian attacked early on the final climb and stayed ahead of a chasing group, led by Juan Ayuso and Nairo Quintana.

In 2023, the race's main contenders, Primoz Roglic and Remco Evenepoel, delivered a thrilling finale on the ascent to La Molina. In the closing kilometres, the Belgian launched a scorching attack, and the Slovenian struggled to follow. During the final showdown, Evenepoel finished the job convincingly to win the sprint.

The climb to La Molina isn't the most challenging in the world. The initial segment ascends for 9 kilometres at a steady 6%, followed by a slight descent, and then the road climbs at 4% over the last 2 kilometres to the finish. From base to summit, the ascent measures 12.1 kilometres with an average gradient of 4.3%.

However, the final climb doesn't stand alone. Earlier in the route, riders must conquer the Coll d'Estenalles (13.3 kilometres at 3.9%), Coll de Batallola (7 kilometres at 3.4%), and the seemingly endless Coll de la Creueta (20.3 kilometres at 5.1%). The bulk of the climbing is packed into the latter part of the race, with approximately 70 of the final 100 kilometres trending uphill. While not always steep, these sections are nonetheless taxing, especially at the end of such a long and trying day in the saddle.

The first three riders to cross the finish line bag time bonuses of 10, 6, and 4 bonus seconds, while the intermediate sprints offer 3, 2, and 1 seconds.

Ride the route yourself? Download GPX 3rd stage 2025 Volta a Catalunya.

Another interesting read: results 3rd stage 2025 Volta a Catalunya.