Vuelta 2023 Route stage 2: Mataró

Vuelta 2023 Route stage 2: Mataró - Barcelona

Sunday 27 August - The 2nd stage of La Vuelta sets off from Mataró and takes in two climbs in the first half of the race. The finale on the iconic Montjuïc in Barcelona should favour punchers.

The route climbs from the start on the Coll de Sant Bartomeu, an ascent of 6.4 kilometres with an average gradient of 4.9%. After a short downhill halfway the last 3 kilometres go up at almost 7%. The route then descends to continue on virtual flat terrain.

The Coll d’Estenalles appears after 53 kilometres. Again, not the hardest climb of La Vuelta – on the contrary. With 12.9 kilometres at 3.9% the length is the most testing part of the climb.

The rest of the route is not flat either, but the main focus after the Coll d’Estenalles will be the finale in Barcelona, which is still more than 100 kilometres away.

The riders enter Barcelona from Molins de Rei in the Llobregat valley and continue to L’Hospitalet de Llobregat. The finale really begins where the TTT of day one finished, the Avenida de la Reina Maria Cristina. Shortly the riders tackle the climb to the Montjuïc castle. Ramping up to 19%, the 2.5 kilometres ascent averages 4.6% before a 2 kilometres descent takes the riders at breackneck speeds to the flamme rouge. The last kilometre goes up at 4%.

The finale is a replica of 2012, when La Vuelta last visited Barcelona. Philippe Gilbert took the win in a two-up sprint with Joaquim Rodríguez. The rest of the field finished some 10 seconds later.

Ride the route yourself? Download GPX 2nd stage 2023 Vuelta.