For the fifth consecutive year, Sant Feliu de Guíxols hosts both the start and finish of stage 1. The opening day is typically a hilly affair, ending with a sharp kick to the line. Last year, Matthew Brennan claimed victory in Sant Feliu de Guíxols.
Stage 2 runs from Figueres to Banyoles. Last year, the route went in the opposite direction, resulting in a sprint victory for Ethan Vernon.
In stage 3, the riders set off from Mont-roig del Camp, a town that has never before featured on the Volta a Catalunya, and head to Vila-seca, where Michael Matthews sprinted to victory in 2019.
The high mountains come into play from the fourth day onwards. Stage 4 takes the race from Mataró to Vallter, where Tadej Pogacar dominated two years ago in cold and wet conditions. The finish at the ski resort sits at 2,150 metres above sea level. To get there, the riders face 11 kilometres of climbing at an average gradient of 7.6%.
Stage 5 finishes at a similar altitude in the Pyrenees on the Coll de Pal, a climb La Volta has not visited for many years. We have to go back to 1979 for the last occasion, when homerider Ricardo Zuñiga claimed the win. The final ascent is a brute of almost 20 kilometres, averaging 6.7%.
In stage 6, the riders take on what could not go ahead last year because of bad weather: a monster of a stage, featuring a final climb of 5.9 kilometres at an average gradient of 7.5% to the Santuario de Queralt. Two years ago, Tadej Pogacar put on a show on these same roads.
The final stage is the traditional closer of the Volta a Catalunya. The peloton rolls out from Plaça d’Espanya in Barcelona before looping through the surrounding area. Back at Plaça d’Espanya, the finale consists of six hilly laps of 7.8 kilometres on the Montjuïc circuit, a formula that always delivers spectacle. Adding extra intrigue, the Montjuïc will host the Tour de France Grand Départ later this summer.