Volta a Catalunya 2026: GC Favourites
fotobureau Cor Vos
Published on 22 March 2026
Key stages: Thursday, Friday and Saturday
Jonas Vingegaard made an emphatic start to his season by cruising to victory in Paris-Nice. Remco Evenepoel also opened strongly – with wins at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana and Trofeo Andratx-Pollença – but the UAE Tour but the UAE Tour proved a setback. He struggled in the mountains and finished tenth overall.
João Almeida, meanwhile, is still searching for his first win of the season after a string of victories last year. He came second behind Remco Evenepoel in Valencia, then took a disappointing third at the Volta ao Algarve, behind Juan Ayuso and Paul Seixas. Having skipped Paris-Nice at the last moment, the Volta a Catalunya is now his third race of the year.
Should Almeida fail to deliver, UAE Team Emirates can always fall back on Jay Vine and Brandon McNulty. Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, meanwhile, have Florian Lipowitz – and possibly Jai Hindley – as back-up options.
Other contenders for a strong overall result include Mattias Skjelmose, Derek Gee, Carlos Rodríguez West, Mikel Landa, Felix Gall, Matthew Riccitello, Oscar Onley, Lenny Martinez, Daniel Felipe Martínez, Richard Carapaz, Enric Mas, Cian Uijtdebroeks and Tom Pidcock – in short, the field in Catalonia is exceptionally strong.
Key stages
For the overall victory in the Volta a Catalunya, the decisive action is expected on stages 4, 5 and 6, although the GC could still see a shake-up on the final day. In last year’s hilly criterium in Barcelona, Primoz Roglic managed to unseat Juan Ayuso from the leader’s jersey.
That said, stages 4, 5 and 6 are considerably tougher. Each day, the riders face 4,000 metres of climbing or more. Stage 4 opens the climber's bonanza with a race over two intermediate climbs before the final ascent serves up 11.4 kilometres at an average gradient of 7.6%.
Stage 5 is even tougher. Shorter in distance but with more elevation gain: 4,455 metres, to be precise. The riders take on four climbs along the way to a monstrous finale: 18.9 kilometre at an average gradient of 7%.
The three-day climbing festival concludes at the Santuario de Queralt. On Saturday, the riders tackle three brutal ascents in the final 60 kilometres. The finishing climb is 5.9 kilometres long with an average gradient of 7%, including several stretches in double digits.
Interestingly, only one former winner takes the start in Catalonia: Nairo Quintana. However, it would be surprising if the 2026 GC victor still has enough in the tank to influence the race significantly.
Volta a Catalunya 2026: GC Favourites
**** Jonas Vingegaard, Remco Evenepoel, João Almeida
*** Tom Pidcock, Oscar Onley, Enric Mas, Florian Lipowitz
** Mattias Skjelmose, Derek Gee-West, Felix Gall, Lenny Martinez
* Mikel Landa, Matthew Riccitello, Carlos Rodriguez, Richard Carapaz
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