2026 Volta a Catalunya Race Preview
The details of this year's 2026 Volta a Catalunya are falling into place. Find the latest route profiles and maps below, followed by our strategic preview of the race.
The 105th edition of the Volta a Catalunya begins on Monday, March 23, and finishes on Sunday, March 29, with its traditional finale on the Montjuïc circuit in Barcelona. First held in 1911, the race is the third-oldest on the professional calendar, after the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia.
This year’s route combines sprint opportunities, rolling terrain, and major mountain challenges. Three summit finishes highlight the race — at Vallter, Coll de Pal, and the Santuario de Queralt — alongside hilly stages that could suit attackers or smaller sprint groups. Last year’s race was won by Primož Roglič, who narrowly defeated Juan Ayuso, with Enric Mas finishing third overall.
Once again, this year’s field includes several top contenders. The podium from the Vuelta a España lines up in Catalonia, with Jonas Vingegaard, João Almeida, and Tom Pidcock among the prominent names. They will face a strong group of challengers, including Florian Lipowitz, Remco Evenepoel, and Carlos Rodríguez.
Stage 1 opens with a 172.2-kilometre loop beginning and ending in Sant Feliu de Guíxols. Although classified as flat, the final kilometers slightly incline before the line, favoring riders with a punchy sprint. Matthew Brennan won at this finish last year.
Stage 2 covers 167.5 kilometres from Figueres to Banyoles over rolling terrain, which could still lead to a bunch sprint. In 2025, the route went in the opposite direction, with Ethan Vernon taking the victory.
Stage 3 travels 159.5 kilometres from Mont-roig del Camp — appearing on the race route for the first time — to Vila-seca, where Michael Matthews sprinted to victory in 2019.
The general classification fight kicks off earnestly on Stage 4, a 173-kilometre mountain stage from Mataró to the summit at Vallter. The climb reaches 2,150 metres above sea level and covers 11 kilometres, with an average gradient of 7.6%. Tadej Pogačar dominated the finish two years ago in cold and wet conditions.
Stage 5 covers 155.3 kilometres from La Seu d’Urgell to a Pyrenean summit finish atop Coll de Pal. The climb has not been featured since 1979, when Spanish rider Ricardo Zuñiga claimed victory. The final ascent is nearly 20 kilometers long with an average gradient of 6.7%.
Stage 6 is 158.2 kilometres from Berga to the summit finish at the Santuario de Queralt. The last climb measures 5.9 kilometres at an average gradient of 7.5%. This stage was originally scheduled for last year but was canceled due to bad weather.
The race wraps up on March 29 with a short, demanding 95.1-kilometre stage that starts and ends in Barcelona. The peloton departs from Plaça d’Espanya and circles back for six laps of the 7.8-kilometre Montjuïc circuit, a punchy finishing loop that often results in late attacks and exciting finales.
The provisional start list includes Richard Carapaz among the riders recently added to the field. Expected teams include Visma | Lease a Bike, UAE Team Emirates, INEOS Grenadiers, Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe, Soudal–QuickStep, EF Education–EasyPost, Movistar Team, and Groupama–FDJ, along with several other ProTeams scheduled to compete.
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