Volta a Catalunya 2026 Route stage 4: Mataró - Vallter

Thursday, 26 March – Stage 4 takes the riders 173 kilometres to the roof of the Volta a Catalunya. Along the way, they tackle almost 4,000 metres of climbing, with the final climb stretching 11.4 kilometres at an average gradient of 7.6%.

Published on 16 March 2026
Last updated: 19 March 2026 – new route and profile maps added

Two years ago, the Volta a Catalunya last visited Mataró. Back then, the university town also served as a start venue and the riders were sent straight into the Pyrenees as well. In fact, the finish was also at the Vallter ski area. On that day, Tadej Pogacar soloed to victory in rainy, freezing conditions, although the course was not extremely hard in itself. After a long flat approach, the stage back then really came down to the final ascent.

This year’s course is considerably tougher, as the riders start climbing almost immediately, taking on the Coll de Parpers, a 3-kilometre climb at 5%. The Alt de Sant Feliu de Codines follows, ramping up the challenge over 9.8 kilometres at 4% — still manageable.

After that, there are no official climbs for dozens of kilometres, but that doesn’t mean the roads are flat. After all, those 4,000 metres of climbing have to come from somewhere. The route undulates constantly — and overall trends uphill — before the final 60 kilometres only gp up. First comes an endless false flat, and in the last 11.4 kilometres the road to Vallter averages 7.6%. The first takes most of the elevation, while the steepest section hits 18%.

Vallter is a ski resort at 2,110 metres above sea level in the Pyrenees, close to the French border. But a quick hop over the border isn’t possible, as the road ends in Vallter.

The first three riders across the line gain 10, 6 and 4 bonus seconds, while the intermediate sprints offer 3, 2 and 1 seconds.

Fancy riding the route yourself? Download GPX 4th stage 2026 Volta a Catalunya.

Stage 4 of the Volta a Catalunya starts at 12:35 uur and the race is expected to finish around 17:00 - both local times (CET). See scheduled times in the slideshow below this article for details.