2023 Volta a Catalunya Stage 4 Live Coverage
Welcome to our live coverage of Stage 4 of the 2023 Volta a Catalunya! Our live profile and commentary are below, followed by a preview of the technical aspects of the route.
Course Preview
Although featuring an elevation gain of 2,452 metres, the 4th stage of the Volta a Catalunya looks promising for fast finishers. The route begins in Llívia in the heart of the Pyrenees and finishes 188.2 kilometres later in Sabadell, just north of Barcelona.
Llívia lies 1,223 metres above sea level, an altitude that obviously brings some risks for pro-cycling races this early in the season. The 4th stage of the 2017 Volta a Catalunya would have started here, but due to weather conditions (snow) the roads were impassable and the start was rescheduled to Montferrer at an altitude of 600 metres.
There is something special about the starting venue. Llívia is Spanish – or, if you prefer, Catalan -, but it is completely surrounded by France. A situation that has existed since 1660. The year before that, in 1659, the Treaty of the Pyrenees ceded 33 Spanish villages in the area to the French crown. Llívia did not become part of the French kingdom, since a clever Spaniard noted it was (and is) considered to be a town and not a village.
So, after the start, the route moves through France for a few kilometres before re-entering Spain. The riders then climb to La Molina and plunge down a 50 kilometres descent. The subsequent phase goes up and down at low gradients, while two hills stand out, the Alt del Collet de Sant Agustí and Coll de Lligabosses. That last summit is crested with almost 30 kilometres remaining, a section virtually entirely on the descent.
Sabadell is situated on the outskirts of Barcelona. The town hosted the Volta a Catalunya ten times before. Luis Ocaña is the most famous victor. In 1971, he won a time trial in Sabadell before taking the overall victory several days later.
David de la Cruz was born in Sabadell, as is football player Sergio Busquets.
The first three riders on the line gain time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds, while intermediate sprints come with 3, 2 and 1 seconds.
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