Sant Feliu de Guixols welcomed again the Volta a Catalunya peloton for the opening stage of the competition
being replaced by some heavy rain that accompanied the riders throughout the entire day as they took on the hilly roads of the region
had no chance of making it despite a strong effort
and was caught with more than 60 kilometers to go
who kept things under control until the final kilometer
when an attack of Matthew Brennan (Visma-Lease a Bike) on the uphill straight to the line saw the Brit take the win and the first leader’s jersey
Mikel Landa remained the entire time well positioned in the complicated closing kilometers of the stage – which ended up splitting the peloton and opening some significant gaps between some of the GC contenders – and put in a solid acceleration on this punchy finish to take eighth in Sant Feliu de Guixols
three places ahead of Soudal Quick-Step teammate Junior Lecerf
Photo credit: ©Szymon Gruchalski / Getty Images
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Alpecin-Deceuninck looked to have pulled off the perfect stage with Tibor Del Grosso solo and Kaden Groves following the chaser
Hello and welcome to CyclingNews' live report on the opening stage of the 104th Volta a Catalunya
The first stage of the 2025 race covers a distance of 178.3km with the start and finish in the town of Sant Feliu de Guíxols.
announced a few days ago that he would not race here this week as he is still recovering from his crash at Paris-Nice.
there are still plenty of superstar riders present with the likes of Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) and recent winner of Tirreno-Adriatico
Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) leading the list.
See the other contenders in the link below..
>>> 2025 Volta a Catalunya contenders: Primož Roglič against the world
Mikel Landa (Soudal-QuickStep) comes into the race as one of the favourites as he continues to be the main GC focus in Remco Evenepoel's absence.
The riders have signed on and are now moments away from starting the neutralised section of the stage.
This means that 167 out of the 168 riders have started the race.
The riders have set off in the neutralised zone.
The conditions are dry at the start today with a temperature of 15°C with a light breeze
the skies are grey and look a bit threatening.
The rain has started to fall and is set to get worse as the race goes on today.
Multiple riders have suffered early mechanicals which have delayed the start of the stage.
Racing begins with the flag being waved by the chief commissaire with immediate attacks coming.
The Polish rider is being chased by Jan Castellon (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) and has now made it a duo up front.
There is an early gap of 15" between Van der Tuuk and Castellon and the chasing peloton.
The two Spanish riders are trying to form a four man break out front.
The two groups out front have now come together making a breakaway of four riders with a gap of 27" on the peloton as the rain continues to get heavier.
The break's gap is steadily rising as they now have over a minute on the peloton
Just over 10km from the first intermediate sprint of the day in Palafrugell
The gap between the break and the bunch is over two and a half minutes with it heading up towards three minutes.
Just under 4km to the first intermediate sprint of the day where there are three
two and one point(s) available as well as three
Van der Tuuk and Alustiza is now over three minutes back to the pack.
🏁Km 18,5🔵Esprint Intermedi🔵 @lagrossacat📍@ajpalafrugell1️⃣ @jancastellon_ (@CajaRural_RGA) 3pts, 3''2️⃣ José Luis Faura (@BurgosBH) 2pts, 2''3️⃣Danny van der Tuuk (@euskaltelteam) 1pt, 1''#VoltaCatalunya104 🚴♂️ pic.twitter.com/3hiduffnfNMarch 24, 2025
The breakaway are now just over 5km away from the first categorised climb of the day
This climb is 4.4km long with an average gradient of 4% and a max of 8%
two and one points are available here.
The race has just gone over an uncategorised climb that had gradients of over 13%
They plunge down the other side and onto the start of the Coll de Begur climb.
The gap back to the peloton from the break has shrunk to just over three minutes now.
The gap over the top of the Coll de Begur is now just 2'50" between the peloton and the break
The peloton is being led by Alpecin-Deceuninck and Picnic-PostNL as they appear to be setting up their sprinters
Castellon and Alustiza have just under three minutes as they head to the next intermediate sprint
This one is in La Bisbal d'Empordà and is just over 7km away.
After an hour of racing the average speed is at 37.2kph.
🏁Km 47,8🔵Esprint Intermedi🔵 @lagrossacat📍@labisbalemporda1️⃣ @jancastellon_ (@CajaRural_RGA) 3pts, 3''2️⃣ José Luis Faura (@BurgosBH) 2pts, 2''3️⃣Danny van der Tuuk (@euskaltelteam) 1pt, 1''#VoltaCatalunya104 🚴♂️ pic.twitter.com/DzXpbF7Gu6March 24, 2025
The gap is now down to 2'40" with just over 10km to the second categorised climb of the day
the 7.7km long Alt de Santa Pellaia with an average gradient of 3% and a max of 10%.
Just 2'15" splits the break and the peloton now with the break starting the Alt de Santa Pellaia now.
The race is now on the descent of the Alt de Santa Pellaia
This is very tight and technical so the riders will be thankful that the rain has not reached this side of the climb
After a first and second place on the only two categorised climbs today
Polish rider Danny van der Tuuk (Euskaltel-Euskadi) will wear the white and red mountains jersey tomorrow
The gap has now started to edge back out again with the break holding 2'35" on the chasing pack.
the race will head onto the finishing circuit where they will take on almost two laps.
The 35-year-old won this race back in 2016
Almost two hours of racing done and the average speed is at 38.8kph.
The riders are now just inside 60km to go until the third and final intermediate sprint of the day in Llagostera
The gap is still around two and a half minutes between the peloton and the breakaway.
Just over two minutes between the breakaway and the peloton
The pace is on the rise but the rain has returned.
The race is now on the finishing circuit and the gap has dropped under two minutes for the first time in a very long time
The rain is absolutely hammering down at the finish.
The break now are only just over a minute ahead of the peloton led by Ineos Grenadiers
Ineos Grenadiers win the battle for the lead of the peloton as they head into these tight and twisty fast roads that take the riders to the finishing town before heading back out on the lap for one more lap.
The peloton is being led by 20-year-old Canadian rider
He has stretched the peloton out in one long line on this technical course.
Alpecin-Deceuninck and Picnic-PostNL are now challenging Ineos Grenadiers on the front of the bunch.
The gap to the break dips under a minute for the first time since it was formed.
Some riders are already dropped from the peloton including Jimmy Janssens (Alpecin-Deceuninck) who was leading the peloton for the majority of the stage.
Just 36" between them and the Ineos Grenadiers led bunch.
the race has headed back into the rain.
Nicolás Alustiza (Euskaltel-Euskadi)
The other three in the break are now battling each other as they attempt to bridge.
The roads are tight and twisty and are catching riders out
is out of the back but looks to be slowly working his way back in.
The Polish rider sat up and has gone straight out of the back of the bunch
has been joined by Faura and Castellon.
He is back up and needs and new bike.
The break are dragged back by a nervous peloton who are keeping the pace very high on this very wet and technical descent.
Alustiza and Castellon pushed on a little bit in the tight corners but have now been properly caught as they cross the finish line for the first of two times.
Two riders go clear with Groupama-FDJ and EF Education-EasyPost launching men up the road.
Those two attackers are caught before any ID was taken on them
Very difficult to see in the pouring rain and big rain jackets.
This is absolutely miserable for the riders
It looks like the tall figure of Nils Eeckoff (Picnic-PostNL) looks to be struggling but he may have just been back at the car as the likes of Simon Yates (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Ben O'Connor (Jayco-AlUla) have been doing the same looking for fresh wet weather kit.
This weather is looking like the weather we saw in 2019 at the Harrogate world championships
Soudal-QuickStep and UAE Team Emirates-RG lead the way.
Just 1km to the final intermediate sprint today
2 and 1 bonus second(s) available as well.
The riders went through the intermediate sprint and it was a strange one
The riders didn't seem to know where it was and it looked like a Movistar rider rolled over the line first
Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) was up there and may have got second place.
Multiple teams now battling for the lead of the peloton as they get closer to that technical coast road once again.
Jan Castellon (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) has won the public poll for most combative rider of the day.
Alpecin-Deceuninck have dramatically upped the tempo on the front of the peloton for Kaden Groves and the bunch has stretched out in one long line.
Axel Laurance (Ineos Grenadiers) being brought back to the peloton on his spare bike
This explains as to why Ineos Grenadiers had disappeard from the front of the bunch
This may change soon now the former U23 world champion is back in.
Alpecin-Deceuninck are taking these tight corners very gingerly but gaps are still being forced in the peloton anyway.
Hugh Carthy (EF Education-EasyPost) and Hugo Toumire (Cofidis) are out of the back and appear to be struggling with the pace
Ineos Grenadiers return at the front of the peloton.
Marc Soler comes to the front to work for his UAE Team Emirates-XRG teammate
It was originally said to be Michel Hessmann (Movistar) but was corrected to Enric Mas (Movistar)
🏁Km 136,5🔵Esprint Intermedi 🔵 @lagrossacat📍@llagosteraldia(CORRECTION)1️⃣ Enric Mas (@Movistar_Team) 3pts, 3''2️⃣ Domen Novak (@TeamEmiratesUAE) 2pts, 2'' 2pts, 2''3️⃣ Primoz Roglic (@RBH_ProCycling) 1pt, 1''#VoltaCatalunya104 🚴♂️ pic.twitter.com/ivC7PnOvvAMarch 24, 2025
Red Bull-Bora-Hangrohe have taken up the pacing in the peloton on this extremely technical and wet coast road as they head to the finale
Primož Roglič being kept in a good position.
The peloton split slightly just as Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) was trying to come back in so he is just off the back of the main bunch for the moment.
Some bigger splits now appearing in the peloton as UAE Team Emirates-XRG are going flat out on the front of the bunch.
Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe come back to the front with Giovanni Aleotti leading the way.
The bunch is now in bits with gaps all over the road with the conditions still extremely wet out on course.
Sepp Kuss (Visma-Lease a Bike) is said to be out of the back at the moment as well as Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) and possibly Axel Laurance (Ineos Grenadiers).
Alpecin-Deceuninck move to the front with Kaden Groves perfectly placed
Matt Brennan (Visma-Lease a Bike) is locked on his wheel with Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) following him
One of the Alpecin-Deceuninck riders gapped his team and now his teammates have let him go with Brennan trying to bridge.
Brennan and Groves have gapped the bunch as well but it is still this Alpecin-Deceuninck solo
The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider is going to take this solo in quite amazing style.
500m to go and Tibor del Grosso has this.
Matthew Brennan (Visma-Lease a Bike) breaks the heart of Tibor Del Grosso (Alpecin-Deceuninck) on the line with a quite sensational sprint
Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck) completely incapable of coming round him
The 19-year-old British superstar has just pulled off quite an astonishing win there
Just a few days after winning GP Denain where he beat yet another Alpecin-Deceuninck rider
you may want to see all the reaction and analysis of the stage by reading out post-race report
>>> Volta a Catalunya: Matthew Brennan produces stunning sprint to snatch stage 1 victory on the line from late attacker
Adapted to the limiting conditions of the plot and the urban planning regulations of Sant Feliu de Guíxols, a municipality located on the Costa Brava in Spain, the architecture studio SAU Taller d´Arquitectura has designed a very adaptable and flexible single-family home
The single-family house located between party walls
initially functions as a single-family home
but is conceived with the capacity and flexibility to be transformed into 4 homes that have communal spaces
distributed in different leisure and service areas
The project developed by SAU Taller d´Arquitectura is arranged around a central concrete core
wet areas and vertical connections are grouped
separating the possible future homes and providing them with cross ventilation in a north-south direction
The construction is developed with a wooden structure and dry construction to facilitate the transformation from one phase to the next
functions as a large ventilated air chamber that guarantees the regulation of solar radiation
Passatge Bailen residential building(s) by SAU Taller d´Arquitectura
Project description by SAU Taller d´Arquitectura
On a plot between party walls with a 9-metre façade and 10 metres of buildable depth
the property poses the challenge of building a building that will initially be used as a single-family home
but which is intended to be transformed into 4 rental homes
Urban planning regulations allow building a ground floor plus two upper floors
This means leaving the ground floor for parking and dividing each of the other floors into 2 homes
wet areas and vertical connections (staircase and lift) are centralised in a central strip 2.4m wide with the dual objective of freeing up the façade as much as possible and guaranteeing natural north-south ventilation
While in the final phase we have 2 homes with one room per landing
in the first phase a single home is planned where the bedrooms are on the first floor and the day area on the second floor
In this way it enjoys better views and privacy from neighbours
The construction is conceived based on a central rigid concrete core
where the fixed elements are grouped: elevator
And a wooden structure and dry construction to facilitate the transformation from one phase to the next
The roof can be understood as an evolution of the traditional Catalan roof
but made of wood: a large ventilated air chamber that guarantees the regulation of solar radiation
SAU Taller d´Arquitectura
Andrés Flajszer.
Archive HOUSING
The 104th edition of the Volta a Catalunya kicks off with a punchy stage around Sant Feliu de Guíxols. The stage has two climbs and three intermediate sprints, with an uphill run to the finish line. With 2,765 metres of climbing, the up-and-down day will be tricky for the sprinters.
A flatter stage comes on day 2 with two significant climbs mid-stage and a flat finish in Figueres. The Coll Puig del Pení and Coll de Sant Pere de Rodes are over with 79.7km to go, so there's plenty of time for sprinters to rejoin after the climbers attack.
After two stages for puncheurs and sprinters, the GC riders have their first day out on stage 3, with a finish at La Molina coming after a hors-categorie ascent. The stage climbs almost the entire way, with over 5,000 metres of ascending over 218.6 kilometres. It's a big day by any measure!
Stage 4 is another big mountain stage, albeit with slightly less ascending but shorter and more frequent climbs totalling just over 3,000 metres. There are only two classified climbs but the sawtooth profile and a stiff finish to Montserrat will test the overall contenders.
Stage 5 brings some respite to the peloton with a pan-flat second half of the 172-kilometre stage to Amposta. One climb in the first hour will be a good launching pad for a breakaway, but the sprinters will be keen to take the rare opportunity to contest for the stage win.
The GC riders are back in the spotlight on stage 6 with another mountains day and an uphill finish in Queralt. There is 4,064 metres of ascending over the 159 kilometre stage and four major climbs.
Another punchy stage bookends the 2025 Volta a Catalunya, with the short but punishing circuit around Barcelona. The Alt del Castell de Montjuïc features prominently in the loop with six ascents and a downhill finish the final test for the overall contenders.
Toquinho, one of the last living legends of the Bossa Nova generation, graced Catalonia once again on Sunday with a performance at the Porta Ferrada Festival in the coastal town of Sant Feliu de Guíxols.
Seated on a stool in an intimate setting with the stage overlooking the sea, Toquinho revisited the highlights of an incredible career that began more than 60 years ago.
Despite recently turning 78, Toquinho exuded energy, demonstrating his mastery of the guitar and proving that his distinctive voice is as vibrant as ever.
The São Paulo-born composer is a leading figure in Bossa Nova, having written more than 500 songs and released more than 70 albums.
His concert was a nostalgic journey through the history of the genre, a history that cannot be told without Antônio Carlos Jobim, its founding father.
In honor of Jobim, Toquinho opened the evening with Corcovado, a beloved classic penned by Jobim in 1960 and famously known as Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars.
He continued the tribute with another Jobim classic, Garota de Ipanema (The Girl from Ipanema).
Throughout the performance, Toquinho paid homage to many other influential musicians, especially Vinicius de Moraes.
Their collaboration is a cornerstone of Brazilian music, combining the melodic compositions of Toquinho with the poetic lyrics of Vinicius.
Toquinho reflected on the profound impact of working with Vinicius, who was 33 years his senior and an established poet when he was just beginning his career.
Songs like Tarde em Itapoã, Samba de Orly, and Aquarela, co-written with Vinicius, served as touching tributes.
Toquinho ended his tribute sending his Saravás - an Afro-Brazilian term meaning 'blessings' - to his late mentor.
The concert also featured a special appearance by singer Camilla Faustino, who entered the stage performing Catendê, from Vinicius and Toquinho's historic album La Fusa.
Her performance, which included songs by João Gilberto, Chico Buarque and Violeta Parra, was greeted with enthusiastic applause by the 800 attendees.
The highlight of the evening came with Toquinho's moving version of Joan Manuel Serrat's Paraules d'Amor, with Faustino singing in Catalan.
With the performance, Toquinho paid tribute to the Catalan singer with whom he recorded a track for Serrat's Portuguese album Sinceramente Teu.
After over an hour and a quarter of nostalgic music, Toquinho received a rousing ovation for his rendition of Tristeza.
Just as the audience thought the concert was over, the Brazilian returned for an encore, delivering a vibrant performance of A Tonga da Mironga do Kabuletê.
This legendary song, which borrows a phrase from the Yoruba people of Africa as a playful insult, captures the joy of Brazilian music.
Through Toquinho's immortal voice, Bossa Nova will live on forever. Saravá, Toquinho.
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CLASSEMENT. Matthew Brennan (19 ans) a remporté la 1e étape du Tour de Catalogne 2025 ce lundi 24 mars à Sant Feliu de Guíxols
Au terme des 178,6 kilomètres de l’étape du jour
le jeune britannique de la Visma-Lease a Bike s’impose devant l’Australien Kaden Groves et le Néerlandais Tibor Del Grosso
tous deux équipiers chez Alpecin Deceuninck
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🇪🇸 #VoltaCatalunya104JUST WOW! Matthew Brennan, remember that name! 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/Cqtu9ilS5q
🇪🇸 #VoltaCatalunya104👑 pic.twitter.com/ffAcZFOE6b
A l’instar de nombreuses autres formations
l’équipe Intermarché-Wanty a dévoilé sa sélection en vue du Tour d’Italie 2025 (2.UWT) qui s’élance ce vendredi 9…
Marianne Vos (37 ans) a remporté la 2e étape de La Vuelta Femenina 2025 ce lundi 5 mai
Les Boucles de l’Aulne 2025 (1.1) se disputent ce jeudi 8 mai sur un parcours exigeant de 183,1 kilomètres autour de Châteaulin
Mas and Roglič speak at the start line of stage 1
The breakaway on stage 1 of the Volta a Catalunya
It was a rain-soaked day in Catalunya to open up the week-long stage race
Brennan in the iconic Catalunya leader's jersey
19-year-old Brit reels in Del Grosso and outsprints Groves for first WorldTour win after rain-soaked opening day
19-year-old Matthew Brennan (Visma-Lease a Bike) won his first WorldTour level race and took his second pro victory in the space of just five days on stage 1 of the Volta a Catalunya
with an immense display of power to overcome a late breakaway attempt by Tibor Del Grosso (Alpecin-Deceuninck)
In soaking wet conditions on the first day of the week-long race in northeastern Spain
Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe set a stringent pace heading into the final 30 kilometres and shredded the bunch
and though a sprint was expected at the beginning of the day
few fast men remained as the reduced peloton approached the finish in Sant Feliu de Guíxols.
Del Grosso attacked on the descent with two kilometres remaining but ran out of energy just short of the line
as Brennan powered past him with Del Grosso’s teammate – who the team had been riding for all day – Kaden Groves
Brennan takes the early lead on GC for the Dutch team
who will likely switch focus to supporting Simon Yates once the more mountainous terrain begins
Groves finished second and Del Grosso third
on a frustrating day for Alpecin-Deceuninck
We did everything we could to try and keep the position towards the front and minimise any losses
we knew the coast road would be a critical point in the bike race
and I managed to get in position with a few guys around me
they supported me into there and from there we managed to sprint," said Brennan.
you just had to go full gas really and I’m so happy it ended up like this
"I was sat watching [last year’s stage] last night
and as soon as Alpecin went off the front I knew this was a replay from last year
and you’ve just got to really manage it and take responsibility and it ended up the best we probably could have done
The 2025 edition of the Volta a Catalunya began with a lumpy circuit of 178.6 kilometres beginning and ending in Sant Feliu de Guíxols
with the peloton taking on a large loop heading up the coast and inland
The profile featured two third-category climbs
and would conclude with a steep ramp up to the finish line
The race rolled out in bright sunshine but it wasn’t long before clouds gathered and rain jackets were donned as the weather took a turn for the worse.
A four-man breakaway group was quickly established but was kept on a short leash
amassing no more than a 2:30 lead which diminished heading into the latter half of the day’s racing
the peloton took the long descent with caution in the wet conditions
and eventually subsumed the four-man lead group just prior to the first passage of the finish line.
despite an attack from a pair of riders from Lotto and Groupama-FDJ which was quickly snuffed out
the group remained compact as they covered the remaining kilometres
the wet road surface likely contributing to the lack of interest in any long-range attacks.
Alpecin-Deceuninck controlled the pace on behalf of their sprinter
though it was Enric Mas of Movistar who put his nose in the wind to snatch the three-second bonus at the final intermediate sprint of the day
The pace began to increase with around 30 kilometres remaining in the stage
Movistar and UAE Team Emirates-XRG joining the charge at the head of the bunch.
protecting their leader Primož Roglič in his second race of the 2025 season
The rain continued to fall and the peloton split under the brisk pace set by the German team
with Sepp Kuss (Visma-Lease a Bike) among the riders dropped from the main group
which diminished in size to around 40 riders as they entered the final descent down to the finish line
Del Grosso clipped off the front of the bunch catching everyone else sleeping
and the 21-year-old used his exceptional descending skills to build a seemingly unassailable gap over the rest of the group.
But with the final kicker up to the finish line to contend with
it quickly became clear that Brennan and Groves were closing in on the rapidly fading Del Grosso
Brennan charged past just metres from the finish line to deny the U23 cyclocross world champion from taking what would have been his first World Tour victory
A number of GC favourites were able to survive the ferocious tempo though there are already a few notable names who lost time
including Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates-XRG)
Simon Yates (Visma-Lease A Bike) and Ben O’Connor (Team Jayco-AlUla) who all sit 25 seconds down on Brennan’s leading time and 18 seconds down on the best-placed GC rider Mas after the opener
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Katy is a freelance writer and journalist
Cyclist Magazine and the British Continental
She also writes opinion pieces on her own website writebikerepeat.com and is a frequent contributor to the Quicklink podcast.
She is obsessed with the narrative element of bike racing
from the bigger picture to the individual stories
She is a cyclocross nut who is 5% Belgian and wonders if this entitles her to citizenship
Her favourite races are Ronde van Vlaanderen and La Vuelta
In her spare time Katy is a published short fiction and non-fiction author
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This year it takes place from 24th-30th March and begins in Sant Feliu de Guíxols
The 2024 Volta a Catalunya was dominated by Tadej Pogačar
who led from his Stage 2 victory and won three more stages in the process as well as the points and mountains classifications
Related questions you can explore with Ask Cyclist, our AI search engine.If you would like to ask your own question you just need to , or subscribe
Catalonia is simultaneously one of the world’s most popular cycling destinations and an underrated race location. The 2025 edition once again begins on the coast at Sant Feliu de Guíxols (where it has begun since 2022), just 30km from the cycling mecca of Girona
and the peloton will take in two categorised climbs around that area before returning to finish
Stage 3 has the potential to rip the GC apart with four climbs including a summit finish on La Molina
Another summit finish takes place the following day on Monsterrat
The penultimate stage is brutal and the same as last year’s race
with five big climbs including the Coll de Pradell and a summit finish at Queralt
It’s then a similar route to Barcelona with the same finishing circuit cresting the climb to Montjuïc castle
which will be used in the 2026 Tour de France Grand Départ
For this year’s race it has been shortened by 48km to make sure the race finishes by 1pm local time ‘to avoid affecting mobility and safety’
Barcelona and Girona football teams are due to play at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium nearby so the Category 3 climb preceding the circuit has been removed
There's a reason why the Volta a Catalunya is always one of the most entertaining week-long stage races
It's hard from the very start and there's an uphill finish to contend with on the first stage just like last year
Here's what a 'flat' stage looks like at the Volta a Catalunya
A nice Category 1 climb to contend with halfway through the day
Things get brutal towards the end of Stage 3 with the first unclassified climb of the race in the Coll de la Creueta hitting just before the summit finish on La Molina
The final climb is 11.4km with a 5.9% average
however that includes the downhill section towards the top – the maximum gradient reaches almost 11% in the early slopes
This is also the longest stage of the race at almost 219km
Stage 4 embraces another summit finish on the Category 1 Montserrat
which is 8.4km in length at 6.7% and it's a pretty consistent gradient all the way up
The flattest of the flat stages still has a climb early on
decided to come to this race should get their opportunity here
The GC contenders will be to the fore on the latter half of this stage
with three big climbs including another summit finish up the 7.6km climb to the Santuari de Queralt
That final ascent has an average of 5.5% but the second half is much steeper than the first
The final stage is 88.2km instead of the originally planned 136km because of a nearby football match
aka the climb up to Montjuïc Castle in Barcelona
is only 2km with an average gradient of 4.8% but the six ascents will no doubt act as springboards for attacks
It was here last year that Pogačar took win number four of the race
The Volta a Catalunya is often used as a warm-up race for riders going to the Giro d’Italia
so the headline battle with be between Juan Ayuso and Primož Roglič
Looking to challenge them will be a strong group of second-tier GC riders who are certainly capable of causing a stir
The Volta a Catalunya is being shown on TNT Sports in the UK
Eurosport will still provide live images to 54 territories
with viewers in Denmark and Norway available to watch on TV2
Those in Spain can watch on Esport 3 and in Catalunya it's on TV3
Worldwide coverage extends to Claro Sports in several Latin American territories
Supersport in Sub-Saharan Africa and Eurosports Asia in the Pan Asia Pacific
Abu Dhabi Sports in the Middle East and North Africa
Those in the US can watch on NBC Sports/Peacock
If the Volta a Catalunya isn’t being broadcast in your country, or you are travelling abroad, a VPN will allow you to hide your device’s location to access content that is normally geo-blocked. One such VPN provider is ExpressVPN, which is well reviewed
This will automatically update as teams get confirmed
Data powered by FirstCycling.com
2024: Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates)2023: Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma)2022: Sergio Higuita (Bora-Hansgrohe)2021: Adam Yates (Ineos Grenadiers)2020: No race2019: Miguel Ángel López (Astana)2018: Alejandro Valverde (Movistar)2017: Alejandro Valverde (Movistar)2016: Nairo Quintana (Movistar)2015: Richie Porte (Team Sky)2014: Joaquim Rodríguez (Team Katusha)2013: Dan Martin (Garmin-Sharp)2012: Michael Albasini (GreenEDGE)2011: Michele Scarponi (Lampre-ISD)2010: Joaquim Rodríguez (Team Katusha)
First winner: Sebastià Masdeu (1911)Most wins: Mariano Cañardo (7)
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Around 500 people braved the waters at Sant Feliu de Guíxols beach on the Costa Brava to take part in the first swim of the year on New Year’s Day.
At 1pm, the swimmers plunged into the water, many donning Santa hats, reindeer antlers and 2023 paraphernalia and other festive accessories.
The town's beach was overflowing with spectators who did not want to miss the first dip of the year.
500 take a dip in the Costa Brava on New Year's Day
Local councillor for sports, David Oliveras was delighted with the large influx of people after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.
"Every year the attendance grows; it has become a tradition for Sant Feliu", he said.
"There were about 300 people signed up, but many people [who took part] did not register", Oliveras explained.
“Doing this tradition, starting the year off well like this, getting into the sea, it is always good,” he added.
Several participants from outside the town took part, among them, Marta Fernàndez, from Terrassa, outside Barcelona.
“We’ve never been before, we loved it, seeing so many people. We might come back next year or the one after,” she told the Catalan News Agency (ACN).
The good weather, with the sun shining and temperatures of around 16C helped to convince some doubters to take the plunge.
The water temperature of the Mediterranean was 15C, according to organizers, not as cold as some previous years.
Swimmers were rewarded with hot soup and hot chocolate as they warmed up on the beach afterwards.
Primož Roglič (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) took his second stage win at the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya following a stunning solo ride
wrapping up the general classification on an explosive final stage in Barcelona.
Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) emerged victorious after a confusing and ultimately extremely short stage of the Volta a Catalunya
High winds first caused organisers to cancel the Coll de Pradell and then neutralise all but just under 30 kilometres of a 73km circuit
Simmons attacked in the final kilometre and held off the chase in Berga
For a second day in a row a mountaintop finish was decided in a sprint finish by top contenders
Thursday a reversal of one day before with Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) pushing ahead of Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) for the stage 4 victory
and bonus seconds from an intermediate sprint
Roglič moved into the GC lead over Ayuso
Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) claimed stage 3
out-sprinting Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) atop the finishing climb at La Molina
taking the lead of the race by six seconds
Ethan Vernon (Israel-Premier Tech) surged to the front of a bunch sprint to hold off race leader and stage 1 winner Matthew Brennan (Visma-Lease a Bike) and earned his first race victory of the year
Brennan settled for second by half a wheel
leaving Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck) to third place
Matthew Brennan snagged his first WorldTour win
chasing down late attacker Tibor Del Grosso (Alpecin-Deceuninck) just before the line after a miserable day of racing in the rain
The 2025 Volta Ciclista a Catalunya will be the 104th edition of the stage race
which stands today as the fourth-oldest stage race in the world after the Tour de France
The week-long race is a staple of the early season
bringing top Grand Tour contenders in the north-east Spain region of Catalunya to do battle in the hills around Barcelona and the mountains of the Pyrenees
Mariano Cañardo is the record winner, having triumphed at the race seven times in the 1920s and 30s. Spanish cycling heroes Miguel Indurain and Alejandro Valverde are next on the honour roll with three wins apiece
The trio have taken 13 of 60 Spanish wins at the race
In recent years, Adam Yates, Sergio Higuita, and Primož Roglič have taken overall victory on routes which include the well-used summit finishes at Vallter 2000
The race traditionally concludes with a fast and furious hilly circuit race in Montjuïc Park in Barcelona.
The 2024 edition saw Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) come out on top with four stage wins en route to a 3:41 overall victory ahead of Mikel Landa (Soudal-Quickstep)
Join Cyclingnews' coverage of the 2025 Volta a Catalunya with race reports
the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya 2025 route will feature three high altitude finishes at the Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC) station in La Molina (stage 3)
in Montserrat (stage 4) and Queralt (stage 6).
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A bomb squad detonated a Spanish Civil war era Nazi bomb off the coast of the Costa Brava town of Sant Feliu de Guíxols on Tuesday.
Scuba divers found the explosive 280 meters from the port during the early-December holidays
The operation started around 11:30 am and required numerous controlled explosions
a 'negrilla' or 'black one,' was used by the military personnel from the Nazi German airforce
a neighbor from the nearby town of Palafrugell
was the first to see the bomb after descending beneath the waves
The explosive was covered with sealife and seaweed
they warned the Spanish Guardia Civil police authority that later detonated it on Tuesday
After "cleaning" the explosive with a small detonation
experts needed two more small explosions to neutralize the missile on the floor of the Mediterranean Sea.
Authorities restricted sailing within a mile's radius of the bomb and did not allow boats to enter or leave the port during the operation.
Discovering a Spanish Civil war bomb off the Catalan coast is nothing new. In recent years, many sightings have been reported and many controlled explosions conducted.
This does not come as a surprise because Catalonia was a constant target during the civil war between 1936-1939
In Barcelona, residents used to take cover during the air raids in the roughly 1,000 bomb shelters found across the city.
These underground bunkers were the only solution to the bombings from above for a continuous period of time which helped save many lives, as Catalan News reported in January 2022.
RÉSULTATS. Vainqueur de l’étape du jour à Sant Feliu de Guíxols
le Britannique Matthew Brennan (19 ans) endosse par la même occasion le maillot de leader du Tour de Catalogne 2025
Matthew Brennan devance Kaden Groves de 4 secondes et Tibor Del Grosso de 6 secondes
L’équipe Polti VisitMalta, invitée sur le Giro 2025, entend bien répondre à la confiance accordée par les organisateurs de la course rose. Avec un…
Après avoir marqué les esprits lors de l’édition 2023, Derek Gee (27 ans) s’apprête à faire son retour sur le Giro 2025 avec une…
Lewis Bower, membre de l’équipe continentale Groupama-FDJ, rejoindra les rangs de l’équipe World Tour Groupama-FDJ dès le 1er juin 2025, avec un contrat courant…
The route for the 2024 Volta a Catalunya cycling race has been confirmed, throwing up three mountain stages for riders to contend in the 103rd edition of the race.
Some of the best cyclists in the world will compete again on Catalan roads in a new edition that also features new locations.
The historic UCI World Tour Catalan race will have seven stages, starting in Sant Feliu de Guíxols and finishing in Barcelona.
For the second year in a row, the Volta will have three high-altitude finishes, at Vallter, Port Ainé, and Queralt.
Finishes at Queralt and Viladecans are new features for this year's tour, as is Altafulla as a stage departure point.
There will also be long-awaited returns in Berga, which will host a stage start six decades after it last did; Lleida, for the first time in 11 years; and departures from Sort and Sant Joan de les Abadesses.
For the third consecutive year, Sant Feliu de Guíxols host the beginning of the race as the start and finish point of the first stage, as well as hosting all the preparations prior to the race.
Last season, Primoz Roglic saw off Remco Evenepoel in Sant Feliu in the first chapter of the duel that ultimately saw Roglic victorious.
The route for the Women's Volta has not yet been defined, but the race will take place from June 7-9, 2024.
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The Madrid practice of Fuensanta Nieto and Enrique Sobejano have won first place in the competition to build a museum in San Felíu de Guíxols (Girona) to house part of Carmen Thyssen's art collection, joining those already existing in Madrid, Málaga, and Andorra.
Nieto Sobejano's scheme carried the day over those drawn up by the other four teams shortlisted: Camps Felip Arquitectura + Tuñón Arquitectos; Martinez Lapeña-Torres Arquitectos + Adriá Orriols Camps; Fuses-Viader Arquitectes; and Calderon-Folch Studio + AV62 Arquitectos. .
The 4,040-square-meter home for a collection of 19th- and 20th-century Catalan painting will occupy a monastery to be restored and refurbished accordingly, with respect and in a way that connects the architectural complex to the landscape through a garden raised over the heart of the new institution: a multipurpose space leading into the historical building and to the exterior garden. The expansion pursues the architectural typology of the cloister that never came to be built in this monastery.
Cliente ClientAyuntamiento de Sant Feliu de Guìxols City of Sant Feliu de Guìxols
Premios AwardsConcurso 1er Premio, 2020 Competition 1st Prize, 2020
Arquitectos ArchitectsNieto Sobejano ArquitectosFuensanta Nieto, Enrique Sobejano
Colaboradores CollaboratorsAlexandra Sobral (gestión de proyecto y obra project and site management); Pablo Gómez (arquitecto de proyecto project architect); Elena Díaz, Ignacio García, Sofía Mesa, Martina Palmioli, Valeria Polato, Juan Carlos Redondo, Rebeca Rico, Jose Romera (equipo de proyecto project team); Métrica Mínima (maqueta model); Hut Studio (renders)
Consultores ConsultantsBernabéu Ingenieros (estructura structural engineer); R. Úrculo Ingenieros Consultores (instalaciones mechanical engineer); Geasyt Internacional Ingeniería (instalaciones fase concurso mechanical engineer competition); Consuelo Luca de Tena (museografía museography); Ester González Ortega (conservación y mantenimiento preservation and maintenance)
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The Porta Ferrada Festival has its sights set on becoming the music festival of the summer with their “biggest international line-up to date” for its 62nd edition. From July 5 until August 20 there will be 13 international artists giving concerts at the Sant Feliu de Guíxols site, on the Costa Brava.
Among the international artists coming to Porta Ferrada this summer is Gene Simons, the lead singer of iconic 70s rock band KISS will perform on August 13. “It will be an unique performance. Simmons keeps his band in parallel to KISS’s career and won’t swerve from that lane,” says Albert Mallol, the creative director of Porta Ferrada Festival.
Alternative music will be provided by Northern Irish band Two Door Cinema Club, whom the festival has been trying to book for many years, according to Mallol. They will grace the stage on August 17.
Swedish singer-songwriter José Gonzaléz will be providing indie-folk music to the Guíxols Arena on August 19.
On another note, there will be an evening dedicated to the 80s, with a collaborative performance by the groups Seguridad Social and La Guardia.
There are also some novelties like Voices of Jazz, a jazz cycle led by Gregory Porter on July 13 at Espai Port.
Andrea Motis will also perform at the same venue on July 19 to present her latest album. The Catalan singer will bring 20 musicians on stage who are also part of her upcoming ‘Febrero’ tour.
Voices of Jazz will be closed by the American singer Madeleine Peyroux on July 20.
As well as all the international names in the lineup, many Catalan artists can also be found.
30% of the full line-up releases music in Catalan. Examples are the double concerts between Mushka and Figa Flawas, as well as the previously announced concert of Guillem Gilbert and the Ludwig Band.
Tickets for the Porta Ferrada Festival go on sale on March 27 at noon.
CYCLING – Team Bahrain Victorious rider Lenny Martinez had a strong start to the 104th Volta Ciclista a Catalunya yesterday by cracking into the top 20 in the Spanish race
The French cyclist ranked 18th overall at the end of the 178.6-kilometre first stage
which started in Sant Feliu de Guíxols and ended in Sant Feliu de Guíxols
held as part of the 2025 calendar of the UCI World Tour
Martinez was part of the leaders’ group at the finish
spearheaded by winner Matthew Brennan of Team Visma-Lease a Bike
who finished in four hours 25 minutes and 17 seconds
Teammates Afonso Eulalio of Portugal and Rainer Kepplinger of Austria were classified 22nd and 23rd
while Matevz Govekar of Slovenia came 99th
Amongst the other Bahrain Victorious riders in the first leg
Martinez was also ranked in the best young rider classification for the white jersey
The seven-stage race continues today with the 177.3km second leg
starting from the city of Banyoles and finishing in the city of Figueres
At least 300 people have been apprehended for forging at least 1,845 false licenses
At least 300 people have been arrested by Catalan Mossos d'Esquadra police and Spain's National Police in the mass operation that began on Tuesday morning against a network that allegedly forged at least 1,845 driver's licenses.
The network used the database of the Directorate General of Traffic (DGT), the Spanish government department in charge of the road transport network, according to sources of the Catalan News Agency.
A Girona court is investigating the group for the crimes of criminal organization, bribery, money laundering, and forgery.
The mass operation began at 7:30 am on Tuesday with simultaneous entrances of the homes of the main suspects in Sant Feliu de Guíxols, Calonge, Llagostera, Quart, Vic, and Girona.
According to sources close to the investigation, the top of the network is made up of about twenty people who took on different functions within the alleged criminal organization.
Among the arrested is a computer scientist who works for the DGT in Girona and who, according to the same sources, was in charge of using the databases to commit crimes.
Officers are searching the apartment as well as a vehicle that the detainee had parked on the premises.
There are also other suspects who, according to the investigation, were tasked with finding willing buyers of false driver's licenses or to recover points lost for penalties, paying from €3,000-€15,000 for the service. The investigation identifies up to four levels of operation within the criminal network.
The judicial investigation started last November and estimates that around 1,845 fraudulent cards were made. It is not ruled out that the investigation will be expanded and this figure will increase.
In addition to the leaders of the scheme, who are expected to go to court on Thursday, the operation also plans to arrest more than 800 people who paid for the cards.
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Marisa Anderson's Cloud Corner comes out June 15
Note: NPR's First Listen audio comes down after the album is released
you can still listen with the Spotify or Apple Music playlist at the bottom of the page
There are some musicians whose skillful playing seems to come so easily, it can appear supernatural. Guitarist Marisa Anderson is one such sorcerer of song
The Portland-based virtuoso has issued several records' worth of instrumental numbers that delight and bewilder with cascades of fingerpicked notes
Anderson demonstrates yet again that she's one of this era's most powerful players
one whose sleight of hand is some serious business
Anderson's other recent full-length projects have generally adhered to some sort of specific idea
as a fictional soundtrack for a make-believe sci-fi Western film
while 2013's Traditional and Public Domain Songs
which she reissued with a pair of additional songs last year
Cloud Corner has no such concrete restriction
and it benefits from Anderson's effortless modulation between styles
Her playing has takes heavy cues from American traditional music and the blues
with free jazzy shocks occasionally thrown in for good measure
but she also nods to the Tuareg traditions of northwest Africa with spiky licks on "Slow Ascent."
The album's track titles loosely speak to a theme of comfort
and each song delivers on that in its own way
"Angel's Rest," which takes its name from an Oregon trail that was destroyed by fire
is so spacious that it feels like you could make a home between its notes
while the Wurlitzer touches that abet the resonance of "Surfacing" lend the song a light mystique
which gives it the same sort of undulating gloss as a river reflecting the sunshine
The requinto-powered "Sun Song" feels like the lone exception
acting as an arid intermission in the middle of the album
One of Anderson's greatest tricks has always been the structure of her compositions
which often make you feel as though she's dropped you into the middle of the action
There's no wind-up or pretense to get to a point; these songs just seem to appear
"Cloud Corner" bubbles upward with a lightly sunny disposition
while "Sant Feliu de Guíxols" tumbles through warm
Anderson closes Cloud Corner with "Lift," where reverberating low notes buoy a light
repetitive lick on the requinto jarocho (a four-string
guitar-adjacent instrument from Mexico) before it all gradually melts away
The track doesn't offer the same sort of lift as
but it feels like a spiritual balm nonetheless
winding pace makes for a gravity-free finish
leaving you adrift like one of Anderson's titular clouds
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Quentin Pacher third in uphill sprint in Sant Feliu de Guíxols
beating Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain Victorious) in an uphill sprint in Sant Feliu de Guixols
Shortly after crossing the line, Colbrelli collapsed and required urgent medical attention. He was transported by ambulance to hospital roughly 45 minutes after the finish
with his team later stating he is in stable condition and undergoing further tests
Matthews and Colbrelli went head-to-head on opposite sides of the road
with Matthews showing superior staying power as the pair sprinted from 200 metres out
Quentin Pacher (Groupama-FDJ) took the final spot on the podium after threatening to catch the slowing Colbrelli
but there was a small gap back to the rest of the bunch
Matthews takes the first leader’s jersey of the race on a day when the pre-race favourites finished safely despite pitfalls that included crosswinds and rain
Matthews cut an emotional figure in Sant Feliu de Guixols after taking the first victory of his second stint at BikeExchange-Jayco and his first win since August 2020
having won on this very finish at the 2019 edition of the Volta
“It’s been a long time without a victory for me now
so to come back to a finish I knew well and win again
His BikeExchange-Jayco team had helped split the race in the crosswinds with 100km to go
with overall leader Simon Yates getting into a front echelon
but the race came back together and came down to a reduced bunch kick up the steep final kilometre
After QuickStep-AlphaVinyl dominated the run-in
Sylvain Moniquet (Arkea-Samsic) was the first rider to attack on the final slope but was soon caught as Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers) - who’d had to chase after a crash on an early descent - took it up with a sustained acceleration
Colbrelli and Matthews were both poised near the front and it was the Italian who launched the sprint with 200 metres still to go
Matthews found open road on the right and the pair sprinted a road’s width apart
Colbrelli began to slow in the final 100 metres and it was Matthews who came through to raise his arms for the first time in 19 months
The 171.2km opening stage started in Sant Feliu de Guixols and finished there
but the road actually started climbing from kilometre-zero
ensuring a fast and frantic start to the race
No attacks went on the opening uncategorised climb and only Alexander Molenaar succeeded in breaking free on the Cat-3 Alt de Santa
although only to claim the mountains classification points at the top
he was caught and chaos ensued in the peloton
The roads were wet and the bunch split in two
a group had torn off the front to form what would be the day’s breakaway
although that too would be relatively short-lived
and the Euskaltel-Euskadi) duo of Antonio Soto and Carlos Canal
The escape group built a lead of four minutes on the flatter terrain but then the road turned into crosswinds and the pace went through the roof
The peloton soon split under a charge from BikeExchange
They soon swept up most of the breakaway as they hit the second of the day’s climb with just over 60km to go
Rohan Dennis (Jumbo-Visma) led the first main group over the top of the Cat-3 Alt de la Ganga but the rest of the bunch wasn’t far behind
That was the moment for some risk-takers to form a new breakaway
and Theo Delacroix (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert) going on the attack
They built a lead of 35 seconds as they reached Sant Feliu de Guixols and passed through the finish line for the first time with 40km to go
where Hvideberg took the intermediate sprint
The final climb of the Alt de Romanya began with 30km to go but the situation remained stable
even if Molenaar was dropped from the break
The Ecuadorian had to enlist help from teammates Luke Plapp and Jonathan Castroviejo before rejoining the bunch on the flat
the breakaway were always in sight on the rolling run-in and Serry
and Armirail were the last men standing but were swept up with 8km to go
Jumbo-Visma raised the pace through Steven Kruijswijk before Fausto Masnada pulled through the final kilometres for QuickStep
The Italian led onto the final-kilometre ramp to the line
where upon Moniquet attacked and Carapaz stretched it out
giving way to a battle between Matthews and Colbrelli
The former raised his hands to celebrate a relief-filled victory while the cycling world waits and hopes for good news regarding Colbrelli’s condition
Patrick FletcherSocial Links NavigationPatrick is a freelance sports writer and editor
He’s an NCTJ-accredited journalist with a bachelor’s degree in modern languages (French and Spanish)
Patrick worked full-time at Cyclingnews for eight years between 2015 and 2023
Marçal Font Espi resolved to unravel its mysteries
The bookseller has connected it to an entire Nazi subculture in Spain
and to Francisco Franco’s dream of a Spanish A-bomb
2022This story begins in August 2021 in a small coastal town a hundred kilometers north of Barcelona
Buried among the papers and useless objects found by a French scrap dealer in an old building in the town of Sant Feliu de Guíxols
The Frenchman immediately sensed its value
and decided to phone a well-known Barcelona bookseller named Marçal Font Espi
He did not hesitate for a second to acquire it “for a reasonable price.”
Schultz makes solo attack on uphill finish against a sprint from Tadej Pogacar
The Australian, racing to the first WorldTour win of his career struck out with a surprise attack 500 metres from the line at the end of the 174km opener to hold off a late-charging Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) on the uphill finish
Stephen Williams (Israel-Premier Tech) rounded out the podium ahead of Dorian Godon (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) and Axel Laurance (Alpecin-Deceuninck)
The late climb of the Alt de Sant Grau (8.1km at 4%) was a potential flashpoint on the stage
UAE Team Emirates and Visma-Lease A Bike (for leader Sepp Kuss) pushed the pace on the way up before Pogačar and teammate Marc Soler took off over the top and down the descent
though Mauri Vansevenant (Soudal-QuickStep) sought to challenge them with a move of his own towards the end of the downhill
with Schultz striking out at just the right time to disrupt the Slovenian’s plans to grab the first leader’s jersey of the week-long race
“I thought I was essentially keeping the pace high to provoke an attack to come earlier but then I saw 500 metres to go and had a look around
At that point the legs were screaming because it’s such a long finish there – it felt like an eternity,” Schultz said after the finish
He was like a bullet being shot out of the peloton and I still didn’t believe it at that point
Stevie was also third and we also have Mike [Woods] here so it’s a perfect way to start the week
“I can’t thank the team enough
I love what I’m doing at this team and I think it was just lucky circumstances for me to get this victory today and I’m so grateful for that.”
Schultz now holds the race by two seconds from Pogačar
while Kenny Elissonde (Cofidis) takes the mountain classification lead after infiltrating the break of the day
The first breakaway move of the 2024 Volta a Catalunya got away from the peloton before the very first climb of the race
which came just under 30km into the hilly first stage
With three climbs – the third-category Ganga and two more second-category tests – in the hills around Sant Feliu de Guíxols
they would shape the battle for the mountains jersey among the break
Kenny Elissonde (Cofidis) broke away early
and was joined by Simone Petilli (Intermarché-Wanty)
The five men out front were given three minutes’ advantage by the peloton
with UAE Team Emirates keen to keep things under control ahead of their planned late assault on the Alt de Sant Grau
Elissonde was the man to lead the race over the Ganga and the later Alt dels Angels
securing eight points and the mountain jersey in the process even if he and his breakmates would be brought back before the final climb of the day
dropping back to the peloton before the rest of the group were caught 30km out
From there onwards, the stage was set for the first GC battle of the race over the Sant Grau, but not before a fight over bonus seconds just before the climb. At the sprint, it was Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) who grabbed three seconds ahead of Pogačar and Laurens De Plus (Ineos Grenadiers)
before UAE put their plan in motion on the final climb
Pogačar made his move but couldn’t get enough separation from the peloton to push on towards the finish
leaving the door open for Israel-Premier Tech and Schultz to score a somewhat unexpected victory ahead of the Slovenian in the dying metres of the stage
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Dani has reported from the world's top races
She has interviewed many of the sport's biggest stars
and her favourite races are the Giro d'Italia
The Volta Cicilista a Catalunya cycling race starts on Monday with a five-star line-up
including 23-year-old Belgian and reigning world champion Remco Evenepoel
competing against three-time winner of the Vuelta a España
and Tour de France winners Egan Bernal and Geraint Thomas
The 102nd edition of one of the world's oldest cycling tours in the starts in the Costa Brava town of Sant Feliu de Guíxols on Monday and will end on Sunday in Barcelona
there will be a varied route with three mountain stages: the high altitude finishes at the Pyrenees Vallter and the ski resort La Molina
in the southern region of Terres de l'Ebre
There will be 25 mountain passes in the seven stages of the race
which will finish as is tradition at the Montjuïc circuit in Barcelona
The first stage will also finish in Sant Feliu de Guíxols after a 164.6-kilometer race
The second stage will see a first high-altitude finish linking Mataró and Vallter on a 165.4-kilometer route. The third stage, 180.6 kilometers, will see cyclists go from Olost, in central Catalonia, to La Molina ski resort
The fourth stage will cover 188.2 kilometers between Llívia and Sabadell on the longest day of the tour
But the fifth stage is the one that will make the Volta a Catalunya "exceptional," as organizers say the 176.6 kilometer route will show the "cycling potential of the four counties of the Terres de l'Ebre."
"This stage will be the third high altitude finish of the tour
in a special category pass difficult enough to be decisive in the final resolution of the race," Volta de Catalunya organizers say
The sixth stage will link Martorell and Molins de Rei
that return to the Volta route after a decades-long absence
The 183.2-kilometer route will take cyclists over mountainous terrain through central Catalonia
It will be on the seventh stage, on Sunday 26, when Barcelona will once again "be the judge of the Volta a Catalunya," the start and end point of a 135.8-kilometer route
"which always offers a special competitive and public spectacle to close a week of emotions," organizers say
The Volta a Catalunya will distribute its images internationally in 190 countries and can be followed live in Spain on Esport3
Barcelona will be the starting point of the Spanish La Vuelta tour 2023. The city will host the first stage as well as the finish line for the second one
This will be the first time La Vuelta starts in the Catalan capital since 1962
Stage one of La Vuelta cycling race will be a team time trial
The city will also host the presentation of the cycling teams and be part of the official advertisement of the race
Overall, the four first stages of La Vuelta will take place in Catalonia.
Maxibons and Fantasmikos: three ice creams that will take many back to childhood
Malaga-born Juan Miguel Quiñones recreates these as sculptures - on a huge scale
He does not alter the natural colour of the materials
skateboards and retro consoles are the most common elements of his work
which is inspired more than anything by his childhood
"My artistic project is based on the memories of those summers I spent as a child between Vejer and Estepona
playful moments that will never return," the artist told SUR ahead of the exhibition of his 'Drácula' sculpture
which will be shown at the Espacio Thyssen in Sant Feliu de Guíxols
This sculpture of a Dracula ice lolly marked a turning point in Quiñones' career as a contemporary artist
"But it was when I exhibited in Madrid in 2019 that several collections bought my work and everyone was talking about the ice cream that was exhibited in Alonso Martínez
exhibited his project 'Drácula x Drácula' at the CAC in Malaga
born in Vejer but raised in Estepona from the age of six
His father therefore offered for him to work with him in construction
"From the age of 17 until I was a little over 20
I worked as a bricklayer; then I started working for a restoration company
and one day I was watching how they made a sculpture because I had never seen anyone cut a stone," explains the artist
This is when he became interested in carving marble
16 years ago - although his father tells him that he already had an interest in this as a child
"He says that I was very interested in the stone façades of churches and that I always asked him what materials they were made of."
Juan Miguel Quiñones is entirely self-taught
It's like that magic that they say exists in art
that this is something I had inside of me," he explains
An aesthetic close to neo-pop features prominently in his works
I'm capable of producing a hand-carved face."
The Malaga-born artist has sold pieces in Japan
He is one of the most acclaimed contemporary sculptors
And now his participation in the group exhibition at the Espacio Thyssen in Sant Feliu de Guixols proves that he is continuing to make great progress in his career: "It is an accomplishment that I have achieved without meaning to
and to be asked to be there is a source of great pride
and I think it's incredible," Quiñones says
which features artists such as Nei Alberti
opens on Friday 5 July and will run until 27 October
moved into restoration and is now fully dedicated to sculptures which are guaranteed to provoke a reaction
careful marble work and impeccable technique have placed him among the contemporary sculpture greats
where he has grown both as an artist and as a person
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MICFootball will be played on 56 fields in 40 towns on the Costa Brava. These are record numbers for an edition, that of 2024, which will break all records, exceeding 400 teams for the first time.
Figueres will once again host the opening and some of the finals on Saturday
while the outcome of the rest of the categories will take place in Palamós during the weekend
Banyoles will be the municipality in charge of hosting the Pre-MICFootball matches for another year
an event that will once again serve to warm up the engines of faces at the MIC
Maçanet de la Selva and Vilamalla) are added to the towns that repeat the experience lived in previous years: Bàscara
Some of the municipalities have increased the number of fields that will host MICFootball matches in 2024
Marca de l’Ham and Albert Gurt stadiums; The matches in Girona will be on the fields of Gironès – Sàbat
Fontajau (home of the women’s category) and Torres de Palau; The Palafrugell duels will be at the Josep Pla i Arbonès municipal stadium and at the Gregal; The action in Roses will take place in Mas Oliva and La Vinyasa; while Salt distributes its matches between the Penya Bons Aires and Comacros fields
Copyright © 2025 MICFOOTBALL | Aviso legal y Política de privacidad
and Cataldo go down inside 6km from Sant Feliu de Guíxols finish line
Yates got back on his bike and finished the 164.6km stage more than ten minutes behind the day's winner Primož Rogič (Jumbo-Visma) and runner-up Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep)
effectively ending his bid for a top place in the overall classification at the seven-day race
"Unfortunately Adam Yates was caught up in a crash in the final kilometers at Volta a Catalunya but thankfully escaped with abrasions and could finish the stage
Hope the rest of the riders involved are OK," UAE Team Emirates confirmed
who won the overall title in the 2021 edition
rolled across the finish line with visible cuts and scrapes through his jersey that was torn across his left shoulder and down the left side of his back
The sudden crash happened after a touch of wheels within six kilometres to go on the right side of the road
as Ineos Grenadiers and Soudal-QuickStep led the field into Sant Feliu de Guíxols
Trek-Segafredo rider Cataldo was a non-finisher after appearing to have received the worst of the crash
Live footage showed him lying on the left side of the road speaking with medical staff as they treated his injuries
He was then taken to the hospital for further assessment and treatment
a collapsed lung and a broken left collarbone
Sbaragli finished the race with visible road rash on the left side
and Hamilton remounted and finished the race with visible facial lacerations. He and Anthony Delaplace (Arkéa-Samsic)
Team DSM's general classification leader Romain Bardet said the opening stage was chaotic and that while there were splits in the field following the crash
he managed to find his way back to the front to finish 11th
especially in the final today," Bardet said
there were quite a few crashes with Chris involved in one of them for us unfortunately
After help from the guys with the early positioning
I managed to stay with the top riders at the finish on the uphill sprint."
Kirsten has a background in Kinesiology and Health Science
She has been involved in cycling from the community and grassroots level to professional cycling's biggest races
She began her sports journalism career with Cyclingnews as a North American Correspondent in 2006
Kirsten became Women's Editor – overseeing the content strategy
race coverage and growth of women's professional cycling – before becoming Deputy Editor in 2023
Stage 1 of the 2024 Volta Ciclista a Catalunya
Catalunya's first stage will test Pogacar and the GC contenders from the gun
Nick Schultz of Israel-Premier Tech held off the rapid charge of Tadej Pogačar with teammate Stevie Williams taking third.
Hello and welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverage of Volta Ciclista a Catalunya 2024
It's a beautiful day and the start village of Sant Feliu de Guíxols is truly buzzing
😋Això ja fa olor de #VoltaCatalunya103... un plaer, @Guixols! 👋🌊Sant Feliu de Guíxols ya se prepara para el inicio de la Volta a Catalunya 2024.Getting ready for the first stage of #VoltaCatalunya! 🚴♂️💥 pic.twitter.com/g42notcPj0March 18, 2024
Volta a Catalunya comes hot on the heels of a big weekend in racing, as GC favourite Tadej Pogacar tested his form at Milan-San Remo
but wasn't able to distance the sprinters on the Poggio
For an excellent retrospective on the race, read Cyclingnews' Stephen Farrand's analysis of the agony and ecstasy of Milan-San Remo
and the major teams have signed on ahead of race start
two of the most closely watched riders will be Geraint Thomas and Egan Bernal with Ineos Grenadiers.
Riders will soon be hitting the neutral start at the base of first (uncategorised) climb 3.1km from the official start
Cyclingnews' Barry Ryan outlined some of the key storylines to follow at this year's race
where there promises to be more to watch than purely Pogacar's dominance
The peloton has passed km0 and the race is offically underway
As the riders ride past through the 170km mark
there is a brief attack of three riders but it's closed down rapidly
Pogacar occupied the most media attention at the race start
While we await the first attack, we highly recommend enjoying our race gallery from Saturday's edition of Milan-San Remo
The brief attack is caught and the peloton is together after 10km as it rolls up the foothills of the day's first climb
Alex Baudin (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) and another rider crest the summit of the first climb with a small gap
Mikel Bizkarra (Euskaltel–Euskad) join Alex Baudin and Adne Holter (Uno-X) on the descent
forming a break of five with 20 seconds which may establish itself as the break of the day
The breakaway of five riders have a gap of 2'19" over the peloton with the first categorised climb
there is a mechanical for Mikel Landa (Soudal-QuickStep)
This is a big week for him as he leads his new team alongside Ilan Van Wilder.
UAE Team Emirates are leading the peloton for their superstar leader Tadej Pogačar
The gap up to the breakaway is now 2'23" as they have gone over the first KoM
the break have a 2'17" gap on the chasing bunch
Just 1km to the intermediate sprint in La Bisbal d’Empordà.
It was the veterans of the group who took the first points of the day with all the riders involved being 30 or above.
Mikel Bizkarra is the oldest of the riders in the lead group at the age of 34
Just two years older than Elissonde and four more than Petilli.
Holter and Baudin are more than a decade younger at 23 and 22 respectively.
2 and 1 bonus seconds handed out in that sprint.
The break have a gap of 2'07" on the peloton as they are on the slopes of the second catgorised climb of the day
Average gradient of 5.1% with a max kick of 10% over the 5.5km
UAE Team Emirates are seemingly wanting to keep a very tight hold on the break today
The descent of the Alt dels Àngels is extremely technical
The riders will need to be very careful.
It will be easier for the five riders in the break to pick their lines compared to 170 riders in the peloton.
The time gap is suddenly plummeting as both the break and the peloton are descending.
It is now down to 1'32" between the two groups with 115km to go.
The pace is really on in the peloton.
That means that Elissonde leads the KoM standings with 8 points ahead of Bizkarra who has 5 points.
The gap is now 1'19" between the break and the peloton
The breakaway have 12km to the next intermediate sprint at Cassà de la Selva.
perhaps the peloton would like to battle for them.
There is a small slit in the peloton after the technical descent of the Alt dels Àngels with just a small amount of seconds between them
Into the final 100km of the stage and the gap is now only 1'00"
The pace in the peloton is really up with just 3km to the intermediate sprint at Cassà de la Selva.
The pace has suddenly completely gone from the bunch now with the time gap shooting back up to 1'56" in a very short period of time.
The split in the peloton is also back together
The break will battle it out for the points and bonus seconds at the intermediate sprint in Cassà de la Selva.
The gap is back to over two minutes at 2'17" with 93km remaining.
It is a lovely sunny day in Catalunya today with the temperature around 21 degrees C.
🚴♂️Etapa 1⃣ #VoltaCatalunya103 - Km 75,8 etapa🔵Esprint Intermedi🔵📍 @ajcassa1️⃣ @MikelBizkarra (@euskaltelteam) 3pts, 3''2️⃣ @SimonePetilli (@IntermarcheW) 2pts, 2''3️⃣ @Alexbaudin73 (@decathlonAG2RLM) 1pt, 1''@lagrossacat #VoltaCatalunya103 pic.twitter.com/ac5FAMrLfYMarch 18, 2024
There's now a period of racing where there isn't any intermediate sprints or KoM sprints for 60km.
the terrain is constantly up and down and the riders will have an opportunity to see the finish and the closing kilometres before launching into one lap of the final circuit.
Just a reminder of who is in the break today:
Elissonde leads the KoM standings with 8 points and Bizkarra leads the points standings with 6 points after two sprints in both competitions.
Both the break and the peloton are on a fast downhill and the gap has dropped to 1'36" as we are over the halfway mark on the stage
Last year's opening stage was the same as today and it saw Primož Roglič win ahead of Remco Evenepoel and Ide Schelling.
Schelling is the only one of the three who is racing this year
as he moved from Bora-Hansgrohe to Astana Qazaqstan
why not have a read of the thoughts of Thomas De Gendt in his final Volta a Catalunya
>>> 'Probably a one-time failure' - Thomas De Gendt revisits UAE tyre blowout
Felix Großschartner is sat on the front of the peloton ahead of all his UAE Team Emirates teammates.
The gap up to the break is now down to 1'07" and falling once again heading towards the final third of the stage.
seen the peloton really up the pace with UAE Team Emirates closing rapidly on the break
The gap is not just 46" with 67km to go.
A few riders are struggling with Mongolian national champion
is struggling right at the back behind Louis Meintjes
While Jambaljamts Sainbayar has been dropped
it is so fantastic seeing riders from lesser cycling nations such as Mongolia racing in WorldTour races such as this one.
Front puncture for Oscar Rodriguez of Ineos Grenadiers
Multiple riders now being distanced with another sprinter
Rodriguez is making his way back in for Ineos after his puncture.
The break are holding the peloton off well and have got the gap back to 1'09" as the race crosses the finish line before heading towards the more climbing as well as another intermediate sprint.
This has been what the peloton has looked like for almost the entire day..
🚴♂️ L'equip @TeamEmiratesUAE lidera el pilot al primer pas per la meta de @Guixols (a 51,9 km de l'arribada 🏁)💥We have UAE Team Emirates at the front of the peloton! Still chasing the breakaway around 50 km to go. #VoltaCatalunya103 pic.twitter.com/G9crxqkyqdMarch 18, 2024
Visma-Lease-a-Bike and Uno-X Mobility are battling UAE Team Emirates on the front of the peloton as the gap drops to 25"
Van Gils screaming at his teammates.
Mikel Bizkarra has been dropped from the break and caught by the bunch.
Lots of riders are out of the back after that crash with some trying to get back in and some sitting up to just roll in
One rider aiming to get back in is Ivan Sosa
About 14" between the break and the peloton with several teams across the road in colour order trying to keep their leaders safe.
They are coming towards the Alt de Sant Grau but this is likely bringing the break back before the intermediate sprint in Llagostera where 3
33km to go to the finish and Elissonde is caught.
Holter and Baudin are trying to stay away but are also about to get caught.
Visma-Lease-a-Bike and Ineos Grenadiers leading the way.
Pogačar didn't need to get round Bernal as he could take the 2 bonus seconds and save his legs instead.
UAE Team Emirates his the front yet again as the race starts the Alt de Sant Grau with 27km to go.
8.1km long climb with an average gradient of 4% with a maximum kick of around 7%
Visma-Lease-a-Bike and Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale alongside UAE Team Emirates on the front.
Looks like it may just be a ride over the climb
Doesn't seem hard enough to really destroy the race.
Bryan Coquard of Cofidis has just lost contact with the peloton alongside Jesús David Peña of Jayco-AlUla and Tobias Bayer of Alpecin-Deceuninck
Soudal-QuickStep and Movistar have really upped the pace
Soler leading Pogačar down this very technical descent to make sure his leader is well placed.
Mikel Bizkarra of Euskaltel-Euskadi has been named the most combative rider after his day in the breakaway
Him being the only Spaniard in the break may have helped that seen as he was the first one caught today.
João Almeida now joins Soler and Pogačar on the front of the peloton as the Portuguese rider is working for the Slovenian
But UAE Team Emirates aren't letting him go with Almeida leading the charge on this extremely technical coast road that they are taking on for the second time
Almeida still leads for Pogačar with the peloton in one extremely long line
but once again UAE Team Emirates drags it back.
Tadej Pogačar is perfectly placed coming into town as he sits in fifth position
He is the favourite for today as well as the entire race
but he will be challenged in today's finish.
4km to go now in the opening stage of the Volta a Catalunya on what has been a stage that has slowly built with excitement.
3km to go and Ineos Grenadiers alongside Israel-Premier Tech move up as well as Visma-Lease-a-Bike.
Israel-Premier Tech look to be working for the Tour Down Under champion
Israel-Premier Tech are absolutely flying down this descent with Schultz and Williams
but Visma-Lease-a-Bike are keeping them close.
Final kilometre for the stage and Israel-Premier Tech still lead for Stevie Williams
A late attack by an Israel-Premier Tech got away
Nick Schultz (Israel-Premier Tech) wins stage one of the Volta a Catalunya 2024!
Tadej Pogačar was absolutely flying but didn't quite get there in the end
Here is the race report after what was a fantastic opening stage with a surprise winner
>>> Volta a Catalunya: Nick Schultz narrowly beats Pogacar to win stage 1
General classification after stage one:
Thank you very much for joining our live page for the opening stage of the Volta a Catalunya 2024.
We'll end it here for today but please do come back tomorrow for stage two and the rest of the race.
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The Cala Belladona cove in the Costa Brava towns of Calonge i Sant Antoni and Platja d'Aro is now a dog-friendly beach, as announced by officials from both towns on Monday.
Officials will even open a small bar with services especially for pets.
Many pet owners, both locals and tourists, have been requesting the councils to open a dog-friendly beach in the area as until now they had to go to different towns for dogs to enjoy a swim.
"We are now a fully pet-friendly municipality," Jenny Xufré, Platja d'Aro's councilor for tourism, declared.
"I believe that pet owners consider their pets as another member of the family, and they also like to go on vacation [with their dogs], travel, go to restaurants and [for the animal to be] served water, even go to the beach, and our goal was to be able to offer these services," Xufré added.
"It was a need that many private operators and tourists had asked for," Calonge mayor Arturo Prades told journalists on the beach.
The new beach will be open all year and has 2,500 square meters for dogs to enjoy and play in this space located less than a 10-minute drive from each municipality. Those willing to walk to the destination can access the beach using the Camí de Ronda hiking trail and also from the Via Verda path starting on the C-253 road.
Until now, there were just a few dog-friendly beaches in the Baix Empordà county including Platja dels Griells beach in l'Estartit, Cala del Niu cove in Sant Feliu de Guíxols, and Platja Pere Grau beach in Palamós.
where the coast reaches into the Mediterranean Sea and the road heads on towards France
is perhaps the most beautiful Spanish costa of them all
the romantic and aptly named “wild coast” where steep hills and intimate bays shaded by Aleppo pine trees meet clean-as-a-whistle Blue Flag beaches
The region is a favourite with wealthy Spaniards
either contemporary properties along the 125 miles of coastline or stone farmhouses inland
It’s a longtime favourite with foreigners too
The Hollywood siren Ava Gardner fell for its charms in the 1950s and was followed over the years by other A-listers
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Will Tadej Pogacar triumph after seven stages of relentless climbing in Northern Spain
the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya celebrates its 103th edition in 2024 with seven stages of brutal mountainous racing in the north-east corner of Spain
The hot favourite for victory is the one and only Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) who will be like a pig in mud in the Catalan hills but he will be pushed hard because the field is stacked with top climbers
Team Visma—Lease a Bike are sending last year’s Vuelta winner Sepp Kuss as leader and Movistar are fielding their top duo of Enric Mas and Nairo Quintana
Others to look out for are Aleksandr Vlasov (BORA - handgrohe)
Lenny Martinez (Groupama - FDJ) and the twin attack of Egan Bernal and Geraint Thomas from INEOS Grenadiers
The brutal stage six was for the most part simply a war of attrition as each climb wore the riders down and shelled them out of the back of the pack
Pogacar set his team to work on the front to inflict most of the damage and when they had burnt all their matches he simply rode off solo.
By the finish line he had added almost another minute to his overall lead and claimed a third stage in the race as behind the duo of Mikel Landa (Soudal–Quick-Step) and Egan Bernal (INEOS Grenadiers) rounded out the podium
The final stage takes the riders into Barcelona for six accents of the Alt del Castell de Montjuic which will wrap up this savage race
Read on to see where you can catch all the action live
If you live in Spain or Australia then you can look forward to a FREE Volta Ciclista a Catalunya live stream in 2024.
But what if you're based in one of those countries but aren't at home to catch that free Volta Ciclista a Catalunya coverage
Maybe you're on holiday and don't want to spend money on pay TV in another country
when you'd usually be able to watch for free at home
Don't worry — you can watch via a VPN instead
It's only natural that you might want to watch a 2024 Volta Ciclista a Catalunya live stream from your home country
but what if you're not there when the race is on
A VPN makes it look as if you're surfing the web from your home country
That means you can access the streaming services you already pay for
Or anywhere that has an internet connection
works on loads of devices and even offers a 30-day money-back guarantee
There's a good reason you've heard of NordVPN
We specialize in testing and reviewing VPN services and NordVPN is the one we rate best
It's outstanding at unblocking streaming services
it's fast and it has top-level security features too
Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app
Head to SBS On Demand or another streaming service and watch the action
A subscription will set you back US$149.99 for the year or US$29.99 on a monthly basis
Live coverage of Volta Ciclista a Catalunya will be broadcast on Eurosport and Discovery+
and MotoGP) costs an additional £29.99 per month
A subscription will set you back CAN$150 for the year or CAN$29.99 on a monthly basis
Cycling fans in the Australia can watch the 2024 Volta Ciclista a Catalunya on SBS for FREE
Absolutely stacked with climbs the 2024 Volta Ciclista a Catalunya kicks off on day one with the very tough stage around Sant Feliu de Guíxols which takes the riders over
the Alt dels Angels and the Alt de Sant Grau
as on stage two the riders head up to high altitude with the huge mountain top finish at Vallter 2000
Stage three and the intensity ramps up even more with the 176km from Sant Joan de Les Abadesses to Port Line
it also features two more huge mountains in the shape of the Port de Toses and the Port de Canto
Stage four has just the one climb, the Port d’Ager some 100km before the line. Then stage five is, by the standards of this race, relatively mild. So a chance to rest a little before stage six hits the peloton like a freight train
the truly evil Coll de Pradell and the summit finish at Queralt
this could well be one of the toughest days of racing anywhere this year
Even the final stage is packed with climbing
firstly the Coll de la Creu de l'Oral then the six accents of the Alt del Castell de Montjuic in the outskirts of Barcelona to end this savage race
Sant Feliu de Guíxols - Sant Feliu de Guíxols | 174 km
March 19 | Mataró - Vallter 2000 / Setcases | 186.5 km
March 20 | Sant Joan de les Abadesses - Port Ainé | 176.5 km
March 21 | Sort (Turisme Pallars Sobirà) - Lleida | 169 km
March 22 | Altafulla - Viladecans The Style Outlets | 167.5 km
March 23 | Berga - Queralt | 154.5 km
March 24 | Barcelona - Barcelona | 145.5 km
Trio of high mountains key to March WorldTour stage race
The 2024 edition wastes no time sending riders into the high peaks with the first high-altitude summit coming on stage 2 at the Vallter 2000/Setcases ski resort
Even the so-called flat stages feature mountains and there is no time trial
so the race offers little for sprinters or riders who are allergic to climbing
Read on to learn about the full route for the 2024 Volta a Catalunya
(Image credit: Volta Ciclista a Catalunya)Sant Feliu de Guíxols hosts the opening stage of the 2024 Volta a Catalunya with a 173.9km stage punctuated by four significant climbs
The stage begins on the coast but heads inland for a series of intersecting loops
The climbing begins from the gun with the category 3 Alt de Romanya and Alt de la Ganga in the first 30km and the Alt dels Angels at kilometre 55.3
Even the flatter midsection is peppered with short ascents making for a tough day in the saddle
The stage culminates with the Alt de Sant with 20km to go and a fast descent to the finish in Sant Feliu de Guíxols
(Image credit: Volta Ciclista a Catalunya)The second stage is up
A flatter run-out than the opening stage runs along the coast toward Sant Feliu de Guíxols before taking a sharp inland turn and heading toward the mountains
The serious climbing starts 130km into the 186.5km stage and brings riders above 2,000 metres in altitude at the summit of the final climb to the Vallter 2000 ski station
It's the sixth time a stage of the Volta a Catalunya has finished on the climb
Last year Giulio Ciccone won ahead of leader Primož Roglič
Other recent winners of this stage include Adam Yates (twice)
(Image credit: Volta Ciclista a Catalunya)The riders of the Volta a Catalunya get no breaks on stage 3 with a second consecutive high mountain finish atop the Port Ainé just one of three huge climbs on the 176.7km stage from Sant Joan de les Abadesses
(Image credit: Volta Ciclista a Catalunya)The theme of the 2024 Volta a Catalunya route continues on stage 4 with another big climb mid-stage before riders get some relief
A gentle descent for the first 60km will make for a fast start before the 14km climb
and a 25km descent and flat run-in to Leida make this stage one of the few suited to the sprinters
(Image credit: Volta Ciclista a Catalunya)Stage 5 stays at lower altitudes than the previous days as the race heads southeast toward Barcelona for the 167.3km stage from Altafulla to Viladecans
The punchy route has two category 2 climbs - the Coll de les Ventoses and Alt de la Creu d'Aragall and plenty of up and down in between
The second ascent tops out with 30km to go - it's a perfect day for a breakaway as the GC riders will be saving their bullets for the coming stages
(Image credit: Volta Ciclista a Catalunya)Why the organisers didn't swap stages 5 and 6 is a mystery - the race has to make a two-hour transfer from the coast to Berga for the start of stage 6 - another romp through the mountains with five classified climbs - two of which are category 1 and one hors categorie
The first intermediate sprint at km 15 will keep the peloton together before attacks fly on the Coll de la Batallola (cat
An undulating approach to the Collet de Cal Ros at km
57.1 is a fine launching point for long-ranged attacks with a long
gradual descent to the stair-step hors-categorie Coll de Pradell (1,735m)
A short incline interrupts the descent before riders head up the cat
1 Collada de Sant Isidre (1,140m) with 26km to go.
It's not the hardest climb of the Volta but 4,085 metres of climbing will add to the difficulty level
(Image credit: Volta Ciclista a Catalunya)The 2024 Volta a Catalunya finishes with a similar stage to last year
with the category 3 Coll de la Creu de l'Ordal serving as a warm-up and breakaway launching pad before the race heads to the six finishing circuits that include the short but steep Alt del Castell de Montjuic
The circuit is hard enough that last year Remco Evenepoel and Primož Roglič escaped on the third trip and stayed away to the finish
It's no parade finale for the Volta a Catalunya - a race that will be fought until the final metre
she coordinates coverage for North American events and global news
As former elite-level road racer who dabbled in cyclo-cross and track
Laura has a passion for all three disciplines
When not working she likes to go camping and explore lesser traveled roads
UCI governance and performing data analysis
Arquitectos ArchitectsNieto Sobejano ArquitectosFuensanta Nieto, Enrique Sobejano;Miguel Mesas (arquitecto técnico technical architect)
Colaboradores CollaboratorsAlexandra Sobral (gestión de proyecto y obra projects and site management); Ernesto García Piza (arquitecto de proyecto project architect); Carlos Ballesteros, Juan Carlos Redondo, Claudia Aguiló, Juan Perez, Guillermo Solana, Natalia Bello (equipo de proyecto project team); Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos (maqueta model)
Consultores ConsultantsBAC Engineering Consultancy Group, Bernabeu Ingenieros (estructura structural engineer); a6 Ingeniería (instalaciones mechanical engineer); Busz GmbH (ingeniería de instalación eléctrica electrical planning); Arkilum (iluminación lighting); Carme Farré, Carles Salas (paisajismo landscape architects)
Empresa constructora Construction CompanyMirfer S.A
Fotos PhotosRoland Halbe, Diego Hernández (maqueta model)
showcasing regional art from the late 18th to the mid-20th centuries
Llançà The picturesque town of Llançà with its charming pebble beach should be enough to inspire you to get out your watercolours and your brush, but to really get you in the mood, visit the Museu de l’Aquarel·la – J. Martinez Lozano
The museum started as public collection of one hundred watercolours donated in 1989 by the artist J
and today showcases more than 193 works from various artists
Costa Brava | © Hector Garcia / Wikimedia Commons
held each summer – one of the oldest events in the whole of Catalonia
Spain | © Gordito1869 / Wikimedia Commons
The Girona Museum of Art is housed in the old Episcopal Palace
dating back to the 10th century and showcases work from the Romanesque period to the beginning of the 20th century
The Girona Cathedral Treasury Museum is housed in part in of Girona Cathedral itself and displays a wide collection of religious art
to the famous 12th-century Creation Tapestry
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Palafrugell Located along the coast, in the middle of Girona, Palafrugell is the largest town in the municipality of the same name. A vibrant little town that relies on tourism, it offers many cultural sights including the Can Mario Contemporary Sculpture Museum
is housed in an old cork factory and displays around 220 sculptures
The works date from the 1960s to modern day and are mostly all created by Catalan artists from around the region
If you click on a link in this story
All recommendations have been independently sourced by Culture Trip
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Michael Woods leaped into sixth place on GC by coming eighth in Tuesday’s summit finish at the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya
Giulio Ciccone beat Primož Roglič and Remco Evenepoel at the top
who captured the leader’s jersey after topping world champion Remco Evenepoel in an uphill sprint at Sant Feliu de Guíxols on Monday’s opening stage
the first of three summit finishes in the 102nd edition of the Spanish WorldTour stage race
1 Colle de Coubet climb before assailing the HC-rated Vallter ascent
After yesterday's undulating sprint stage
it's now time for the first mountain top finish of the race
The ascent to Vallter 2000 is 11.4 km long and has an avg
⏰ 12:45 ?️ 165.4 km? 3000+ m of climbing? 17:00 ___?? #VoltaCatalunya102 pic.twitter.com/CiM1j5d8mh
— Israel – Premier Tech (@IsraelPremTech) March 21, 2023
On Monday Woods was part of the 25-strong group that finished together in Sant Feliu de Guíxols and he sat at lucky thirteenth going into Tuesday’s stage
An octet of fugitives dashed away soon after the start in Mataró
and since it contained two fellows who were +0:20 of Roglič
But by the time the breakaway reached Colle de Coubet
its gap had grown and its chances of survival had increased
Escapee Simon Petilli crested Coubet first and took over the KOM lead from Monday’s breakaway Jetse Bol
The break’s gap shrank rapidly and it lost numbers as Vallter began to bite
Bahrain-Victorious took over the pointy end of the reduced peloton with intent
Carr’s EF Education-Easypost teammate Esteban Chaves attacked and Sepp Kuss chased him
The Colombian national champion yanked out a 30 second gap and Kuss returned to teammate Roglič’s side
It was edge-of-your-seat stuff inside the red kite
Once more Evenepoel accelerated and Ciccone and Roglič went with him and sprinted it out
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Jack Haig and Ben O’Connor will lead a strong Australian contingent at the 101st edition of the Volta a Catalunya as it starts LIVE on SBS Viceland and SBS On Demand.From left- Alejandro Valverde
Adam Yates and Richie Porte in action during the 2021 Volta a Catalunya Source: Getty Images
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