Volta a Catalunya 2026 Route stage 7: Barcelona – Barcelona

Sunday 29 March – As every year, the final stage of the Volta a Catalunya revolves around the Alto de Montjuïc in Barcelona. The riders bid farewell to the crowds with seven laps of the 7.9-kilometre city circuit. The closing stage, which almost always delivers plenty of spectacle, features 1,781 metres of climbing in 95.1 kilometres.

First published on 11 March 2026

A Barcelona stage is the traditional finale of the Volta a Catalunya. For years, the stage began with a hilly loop through the hinterland of the Catalan capital, but that tradition was broken last year. After a flat detour outside the city, the race quickly headed to the Alto de Montjuïc circuit. Apparently that worked so well that the organisers have opted for the same format again this time.

At 7.9 kilometres, the hilly city circuit is tackled seven times. In each lap the riders first climb up to Montjuïc Castle, a 2.5-kilometre ascent with ramps reaching 19%. They then descend for 1 kilometre to the foot of the next climb. This one is 700 metres long and averages 6%. The circuit concludes with a 2.3-kilometre false-flat descent.

Last year, Primoz Roglic took control of the Volta a Catalunya in the Barcelona stage. He had started the stage 1 second behind Juan Ayuso and attacked on the climb to Montjuïc Castle with just over 20 kilometres remaining, on the third-to-last lap. Roglic eventually gained 19 seconds on Ayuso, which was more than enough for both the stage win and the overall victory.

Other winners in Barcelona include Tadej Pogacar (2024), Remco Evenepoel (2023), Andrea Bagioli (2022), Thomas De Gendt (2021, 2013), Davide Formolo (2019), Simon Yates (2018), Alejandro Valverde (2017, 2015), Alexey Tsatevich (2016) and the late Lieuwe Westra (2014).

The Alto de Montjuïc will also play a prominent role in the Grand Départ of the upcoming Tour de France. Both the TTT on the opening day and stage 2 will reach their climax on the iconic climb overlooking the city.

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

Fancy riding the route yourself? Download GPX 7th stage 2026 Volta a Catalunya.

Stage 7 of the Volta a Catalunya starts at 11:50 uur and the race is expected to finish around 14:00 - both local times (CET).