2011

On March 27th 2011, the Centenary edition of the "Volta" Ciclista a Catalunya came to an end with Alberto Contador’s overall victory. But a few months beforehand Contador was sanctioned for testing positive in an anti-doping test in the 2010 Tour de France, and consequently, he was stripped of his victory of the Centenary "Volta", with the Italian Michele Scarponi being announced the final winner.
The Centenary "Volta" started in Lloret de Mar with the Lithuanian rider Smukulis winning. The Italian sprinter Petacchi won in Banyoles. The third stage, ending in Pal in Andorra, was won by Contador, ahead of Scarponi and Leipheimer. The other stages ended with sprints, with the Portuguese Cardoso taking the victory in El Vendrell, the Frenchman Dumoulin winning in Tarragona and Barcelona, and the Spaniard Rojas winning in Mollet del Vallès.
In the last stage, the US rider Leipheimer, who was second in the general classification, was not able to participate due to illness.
After Contador’s disqualification, the Italian Michele Scarponi ended up winning the race ahead of the Girona-based Irishman Daniel Martin and the American rider Chris Horner.

91a Volta Ciclista a Catalunya

1a stage Lloret de Mar – Lloret de Mar 166km Gatis Smukulis
2a stage Santa Coloma de Farners – Banyoles 169km Alessandro Petacchi
3a stage La Vall d’en Bas – Andorra Vallnord 184km Alberto Contador*
4a stage La Seu d’Urgell – El Vendrell 195km Manuel Cardoso
5a stage El Vendrell – Tarragona 205km Samuel Dumoulin
6a stage Tarragona – Mollet del Vallès 195km José Joaquín Rojas
7a stage Parets del Vallès – Barcelona 124km Samuel Dumoulin

Podium: Michele Scarponi* / Dan Martin / Chris Horner *Desqualificació Alberto Contador


2012

The Swiss Michael Albasini won the "Volta" Ciclista a Catalunya in 2012. The cyclist from the Australian team GreenEdge won in the first two stages, in Calella after a breakaway and in Girona sprinting away from the leaders’ group. The third stage, ending in Port-Ainé, after passing through Coubet, Toses and Cantó, was shortened halfway up the climb to Cantó on account of the adverse weather conditions the riders were enduring. The stage times did not count for the general classification and this meant Albasini could comfortably hold on to the leading position in the race until the end of the "Volta".
In the stage that arrived into Ascó, won by Urán, the leader’s main rivals unsuccessfully tried to leave him behind on the climb to Paumeres, as occurred in the Manresa stage won by the Frenchman Simon, on the climb to Montserrat.
The only stage in which Albasini lost time was the arrival into Badalona where Samuel Sánchez surprised the peloton by winning the stage and taking two seconds from the leader, not enough time to win the "Volta". The last stage, arriving into Sarrià, and a new victory for the Frenchman Simon, was a nail-biting stage and Sánchez made another attempt in Vallvidrera.
Little did Albasini know that the Calella victory would mean a final victory in the "Volta". He was joined on the podium by Samuel Sánchez, from the Euskaltel-Euskadi team, and the Belgian Jurgden Van den Broek from the Lotto-Belisol team.

92a Volta Ciclista a Catalunya

1a stage Calella – Calella 139km Michael Albasini
2a stage Girona – Girona 161km Michael Albasini
3a stage La Vall d’en Bas – Port Ainé 210km Janez Brajkovic
4a stage Tremp – Ascó 199km Rigoberto Urán
5a stage Ascó – Manresa 207km Julien Simon
6a stage St. Fruitós del Bages – Badalona 169km Samuel Sánchez
7a stage Badalona – Barcelona 120km Julien Simon

Podium: Michael Albasini / Samuel Sánchez / Jürgen Van den Broeck


2013

The Irishman Daniel Martin (Garmin Sharp) won the 93rd edition of the "Volta" Ciclista a Catalunya with a 17-second advantage over Joaquim Rodríguez (Team Katusha) and 34 seconds over Michele Scarponi (Lampre-Merida).
The three riders on the final podium were part of a group of 13 riders who broke away on the Collsacreu climb in the last kilometres of the first stage, starting and finishing in Calella. The control of the Sky Procycling team, with their group leader Bradley Wiggins at the front, made a first selection in the race. The Belgian Gianni Meersman (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) won the first stage.
As occurred last year with the Swiss Michael Albasini, the Belgian Meersman won the second stage wearing the leader’s jersey. In a flat stage between Girona and Banyoles, the Belgian was once again the fastest in the sprint.
In the third stage, arriving into Vallter 2000, the Movistar Team took the stage victory, with the Colombian Nairo Quintana, and the leading position in the race, with Alejandro Valverde.
Valverde soon lost the leader’s jersey, when in the queen stage he fell during the descent to La Seu d’Urgell, forcing him to pull out of the race. The stage winner, the Irishman Dan Martin, emerged from a breakaway group of 23 riders, and he went on to take the lead, with a ten-second advantage over Purito Rodríguez.
The next two stages, finishing in Lleida and Valls, ended with sprints, with victories by François Parisien (Team Argos-Shimano) and Simon Gerrans (Orica-GreenEdge) respectively. The leader Martin managed to increase his advantage by seven seconds by winning two intermediate sprints.
The last stage, with the final circuit in Montjuïc, kept the fans on the edge until the very last minute. The Italian Michele Scarponi broke away with three other riders and for several kilometres was the virtual leader. In the end, the breakaway group helped him to achieve third position in the general classification. One of the breakaway riders, the Belgian Thomas De Gendt (Vacansoleil-DCM), won the final stage.

93a Volta Ciclista a Catalunya

1a stage Calella – Calella 159km Gianni Meersman
2a stage Girona – Banyoles 161km Gianni Meersman
3a stage Vidreres – Vallter 2000 (Setcases) 180km Nairo Quintana
4a stage Llanars (Vall Camprodon) – Port Ainé 217km Dan Martin
5a stage Rialp – Lleida 156km François Parisien
6a stage Almacelles – Valls 178km Simon Gerrans
7a stage El Vendrell – Barcelona 122km Thomas De Gendt

Podium: Dan Martin / Joaquim Rodríguez / Michelle Scarponi


2014

Joaquim “Purito” Rodríguez (Katusha) was the winner of the 94th "Volta" a Catalunya, one of the most outstanding editions in the history of the race in terms of participation, since the first four riders classified from the Tour de France were on the starting line in Calella. And one of those four, the Catalan Joaquim Rodríguez, took the trophy home.
The race started with two mass arrivals, in Calella and Girona, won by the Slovenian Luka Mezgec (Giant-Shimano). Mezgec had to conquer the summit of Collsacreu in the initial stage, where despite movement on the descent, there was no breakaway group like in last year’s race. However, on the way to Girona, the rain was the main obstacle for the large group, which arrived together at the finish line, despite Thomas Voeckler’s (Europcar) attempt at making a solo breakaway.
The mountains took centre stage on the third day, with the final stage in La Molina. This section ended up being decisive in the final stages of the race. “Purito” positioned himself as leader there, responding in the last kilometre to an attack by Chris Froome (Sky). The advantage he gained there was not beaten by any of his direct rivals in the later stages.
Not even the queen stage, which finished in Vallter 2000 with a gruelling route and snow during the final ascent, made the leader suffer. The US rider Tejay Van Garderen (BMC) won the stage, positioning himself as third in the general classification, ahead of the Frenchman Romain Bardet, and Alberto Contador (Saxo-Tinkoff), second in the general classification, only recovered one second.
The fifth stage, which finished in Valls, was the last mass finish, and once again the winner was an overjoyed Mezgec, who kept the large group at bay despite the considerable amount of movement among riders aspiring to win the general classification who met on the Coll de Lilla, ten kilometres from the finish line.
However, breakaways were the protagonists of the last two stages. Stef Clement (Belkin), final winner of the mountain classification, left behind a group of nine cyclists with an effective attack in the last kilometre in Vilanova i La Geltrú. And Lieuwe Westra (Astana) was the solo winner in Barcelona after eight laps around Montjuïc, while the favourites attempted attacks under the rain, but ended up arriving together.
This was Rodríguez’s second "Volta" a Catalunya win after the 2010 edition, when he became the first Catalan to take home the trophy in the general classification since Pepe Recio in 1983. The German Michel Koch (Cannondale) took home the Miquel Poblet trophy and the intermediate sprints classification thanks to three breakaways, and Garmin-Sharp won the team classification.

94a Volta Ciclista a Catalunya

1a stage Calella – Calella 170km Luka Mezgec
2a stage Mataró – Girona 168km Luka Mezgec
3a stage Banyoles – La Molina (Alp) 163km Joaquim Rodríguez
4a stage Alp – Vallter 2000 (Setcases) 166km Tejay Van Garderen
5a stage Llanars Vall de Camprodon – Valls 218km Luka Mezgec
6a stage El Vendrell - Vilanova i la Geltrú 172km Stef Clement
7a stage Barcelona – Barcelona 120km Lieuwe Westra

Podium: Joaquim Rodríguez / Alberto Contador / Tejay Van Garderen


2015

The Australian Richie Porte (Sky) has been the final winner of the 95th "Volta" a Catalunya, which again has had a very tight resolution in the final day, which has finished Barcelona with eight laps in the Montjuic circuit. Porte finished just 4 seconds ahead of Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), who finished a brilliant "Volta" with a third stage win, and with 5 seconds over the Italian Domenico Pozzovivo (Ag2r La Mondiale).

Te Volta started in Calella with a victory for the polish Maciej Paterski, while in the second stage the main favourites started to move. Alejandro Valverde triumphed in Olot, Valls and Barcelona, while other cyclists like Domenico Pozzovivo, in Girona, and Tejay Van Garderen, in La Molina, were also able to celebrate a victory.

The Volta finished with a prestigious and high level winner among its participants.

95a Volta Ciclista a Catalunya

1a stage Calella – Calella 185km Maciej Paterski
2a stage Mataró – Olot 192km Alejandro Valverde
3a stage Girona – Girona 156km Domenico Pozzovivo
4a stage Tona – La Molina (Alp) 188km Tejay Van Garderen
5a stage Alp – Valls 195km Alejandro Valverde
6a stage Cervera – Port Aventura 194km Sergei Chernetski
7a stage Barcelona – Barcelona 126km Alejandro Valverde

Podium: Richi Porte / Alejandro Valverde / Domenico Pozzovivo


2016

Nairo Quintana (Movistar) became the third Colombian to win the "Volta" after Álvaro Mejía (1993) and Hernán Buenahora (1998) and, despite not being able to decorate the victory with any stage win, he got it from way fully deserved.

The great dominator of the massive arrivals the first two stages was the Frenchman of Cofidis Nacer Bouhanni, who won in Calella and Olot. The mountain arrived in the third stage, with victory in the Molina of the Irishman Dan Martin - winner of the Volta 2013-.

The always combative Thomas de Gendt won the queen stage of Port Ainé, while the Dutch Wout Poels won in Valls. Quintana beat Alberto Contador and Dan Martin in a highly disputed edition with big names in the top positions.

96a Volta Ciclista a Catalunya

1a stage Calella – Calella 175km Nacer Bouhanni
2a stage Mataró – Olot 178km Nacer Bouhanni
3a stage Girona – La Molina (Alp) 172km Dan Martin
4a stage Bagà – Port Ainé (Rialp) 172km Thomas De Gendt
5a stage Rialp – Valls 187km Wout Poels
6a stage St. Joan Despí – Vilanova i la Geltrú 197km Davide Cimolai
7a stage Barcelona – Barcelona 136km Alexei Tsatevich

Podium: Nairo Quintana / Alberto Contador / Dan Martin


2017

The winner of the 97th edition of the "Volta" Ciclista Catalunya, the Murcian Alejandro Valverde (Movistar Team), has finished in the best possible way a race that has dominated from head to toe, adding the stage victory in the seventh and last stage of the test. Valverde added in 2017 his second "Volta" after the 2009.

The Volta recovered for this edition number 97 a team time trial, which won the BMC in Banyoles, while sprinters such as Davide Cimolai (Calella), Nacer Bouhanni (Igualada) or Daryl Impey (Reus) could celebrate a stage victory.

The great dominator without any doubt was Alejandro Valverde, with three stage victories at La Molina, Lo Port and Barcelona, and was accompanied on the podium by Alberto Contador and the young Catalan from Vilanova i la Geltrú, Marc Soler.

97a Volta Ciclista a Catalunya

1a stage Calella – Calella 179km Davide Cimolai
2a stage CRE Pla de l’Estany (Banyoles – Banyoles) 41,3km BMC
3a stage Mataró – La Molina (Alp) 188km Alejandro Valverde
4a stage Llívia – Igualada 194km Nacer Bouhanni
5a stage Valls – Lo Port (Tortosa) 182km Alejandro Valverde
6a stage Tortosa – Reus 189km Daryl Impey
7a stage Barcelona – Barcelona 138km Alejandro Valverde

Podium: Alejandro Valverde / Alberto Contador / Marc Soler


2018

Alejandro Valverde Belmonte got his third Volta Ciclista a Catalunya in the 98th edition of the race, revalidating his victory of the previous year (2017), in addition to the triumph of 2009. Valverde added two stage victories more, in Valls and La Molina.

The Murcian initiated thus a fantastic season that finished with the triumph to the World Championship of Innsbruck, proclaiming himself for the first time World Champion.

It was a Volta of discoveries, like those of the Colombian sprinter Alvaro Hodeg (winner in Calella) or the German Max Schachmann (winner in Torrefarrera), but also of consolidated names such as Thomas De Gendt, with a spectacular triumph alone in Camprodon, or the Colombian Jarlinson Pantano, winner in Vielha, where the Volta had not finished for 25 years.

The last stage was for another name that would give much to talk in 2018: Simon Yates, who won in Barcelona and months later would win the Vuelta a España.

A spectacular Volta with a name for the story: Alejandro Valverde.

98a Volta Ciclista a Catalunya

1a stage Calella – Calella 152km Álvaro Hodeg
2a stage Mataró – Valls 175km Alejandro Valverde
3a stage St. Cugat del Vallès – Camprodon 153km Thomas De Gendt
4a stage Llanars – La Molina (Alp) 170km Alejandro Valverde
5a stage Llívia – Vielha Val d’Aran 212km Jarlinson Pantano
6a stage Vielha Val d’Aran – Torrefarrera 194km Max Schachmann
7a stage Barcelona – Barcelona 154km Simon Yates

Podium: Alejandro Valverde / Nairo Quintana / Pierre Roger Latour


2019

Miguel Ángel López (Astana) won the 99th ‘Volta’ a Catalunya, driven by his victory in the demanding fourth stage, that finished in the ski station of La Molina. The colombian cyclist was the most regular during the race, that in this edition had a great participation, with illustrious riders as Chris Froome (Sky), Egan Bernal (Sky), Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), Nairo Quintana (Movistar), Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) or Adam and Simon Yates (Mitchelton Scott).

It was the eighth consecutive year that the ‘Volta’ started with an inaugural stage whith a start and finish line in Calella. Thomas de Gendt (Lotto Soudal) won the first stage and the belgian was the first leader of the race. He defended this condition during the first three stages.

Michael Matthews (Team Sunweb) also shone in this edition of the ‘Volta’. The australian won the second stage, between Mataró and Sant Feliu de Guíxols, after an intense fight with Valverde in the final sprint. In this day, Chris Froome, four-time winner of the Tour, suffered a drop that separated him of the fight for the overall ranking. Matthews repeated victory in the sixth stage, between Valls and Vila-seca, when he was the most strong in the final meters again.

The first contact with the high mountain came in the third stage, which connected Sant Feliu de Guíxols and Vallter 2000. Adam Yates (Mitchelton Scott) was the fastest rider in his duel with another favorites, such as Bernal, Quintana or ‘Superman’ López, in the hardest part of the port.

Miguel Ángel López showed his quality at the stage between Llanars and La Molina and the colombian got the leadership in the overall ranking. He kept up this condition the last three days, but he had to fight until the last day of the race. In the last stage, with the traditional circuit in the mountain of Montjuïc, in Barcelona, López had to respond to the attack of Adam Yates, that with the help of his brother Simon maintained the emotion until the finally of the ‘Volta’. Finally, Adam Yates finished second in the overall ranking, and Bernal, who four months later he would be the new winner of the Tour, completed the podium.

99a Volta Ciclista a Catalunya

1a stage Calella – Calella 164km Thomas de Gendt
2a stage Mataró – Sant Feliu de Guixols 166.7km Michael Mathews
3a stage Sant Feliu de Guixols – Vallter 200 180km Adam Yates
4a stage Llanars – La Molina 150.3km Miguel Ángel López
5a stage Puigcerdà – Sant Cugat del Vallès 188.1km Maximilian Schachmann
6a stage Valls – Vila-seca 169.1km Michael Mathews
7a stage Barcelona – Barcelona 143.1km Davide Formolo

Podium: Miguel Ángel López / Adam Yates /Egan Bernal


2021

The 100th edition of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya had to wait another year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but its celebration in 2021 was a complete success of participation and organization, with illustrious winners who dignified the race.

Starting in Calella, the Volta began with the surprise victory of young Danish Andreas Kron (Lotto Soudal), who prevailed in a small group breakaway. The Volta recovered in the centenary of editions an individual time trial through the Pla de l'Estany, where INEOS showed its potential and the world champion of the discipline Rohan Dennis took the victory.

Once the mountain arrived, the domain of INEOS continued. Adam Yates repeated his victory and took the lead of the race in Vallter 2000, while on arrival at Port Ainé, the Colombian Esteban Chaves claimed himself with a triumph.

Manresa was also the protagonist of the centennial edition with a beautiful stage that has Montserrat as a great incentive, and the German Lennard Kämna won alone. In the sixth stage, starting in Tarragona and finishing in Mataró, the three-time world champion Peter Sagan won a magnificent sprint victory, in his first participation in the Volta.

The 100th edition finished once again in Barcelona, ​​where the incombustible Thomas de Gendt added another solo triumph in la Volta. The general was clearly dominated by INEOS Grenadiers, on a historic podium with three representatives of their team. The glory of this special edition was for the British Adam Yates, accompanied by the Australian Richie Porte and the Welshman Geraint Thomas.

An unforgettable edition to commemorate 100 legendary races!

100a Volta Ciclista a Catalunya  

1a etapa Calella – Calella 178,5km Andreas Kron
2a etapa Pla de l'Estany (Banyoles - Banyoles) CRI 18,5km Rohan Dennis
3a etapa Canal Olímpic - Vallter 2000 203,5km Adam Yates
4a etapa Ripoll – Port Ainé 166,5km Esteban Chaves
5a etapa La Pobla de Segur – Manresa 201.5km Lennard Kämna
6a etapa Tarragona - Mataró 194km Peter Sagan
7a etapa Barcelona – Barcelona 133km Thomas De Gendt

Podi: Adam Yates / Richie Porte / Geraint Thomas


2022

The 101st edition of the Volta a Catalunya started with the novelty of the start from Sant Feliu de Guíxols after nine consecutive editions starting from Calella. Australian Michael Matthews was the first leader of the race, winning the sprint in the same finish where he had already triumphed in 2019, while his teammate Kaden Groves was the fastest in the second stage, a special day that started from L'Escala for the first time in the history of the Volta and finished in Perpignan 67 years after the last visit of the race.

The mountain arrived in the third stage between Perpinyà and La Molina, where Australian Ben O'Connor was able to take the lead after winning the stage alone. The situation changed in the fourth stage, starting in La Seu d'Urgell and finishing in the resort of Boí Taüll, where Joao Almeida won ahead of Colombian Nairo Quintana, who took the lead tied on time with the Portuguese rider. This meant that a bonus in an intermediate sprint on the fifth stage, which linked Pobla de Segur and Vilanova i la Geltrú, allowed Almeida to dress as leader at the end of a day decided by a sprint, where the young Briton Ethan Vernon won.

It seemed that this tight duel between Almeida and Quintana could be the main focus of the last days of the race, but everything changed in the sixth stage on the Costa Daurada, with a hilly route between Salou and Cambrils on a rainy day that allowed Richard Carapaz and Sergio Higuita to break the race from the first climb of the day, the Coll de les Llebres-Mussara. Carapaz, the reigning Olympic champion, took the stage victory, while Higuita took the lead with the last stage to go. The finish in Barcelona, with the six climbs at the Castell de Montjuïc as the main attraction, once again offered a beautiful battle, but in the end a reduced group fought for the stage victory, with the Italian Andrea Bagioli as the winner, while Higuita, Carapaz and Almeida climbed onto the final podium of the general classification, which for the fifth time in history proclaimed the victory of a Colombian cyclist.

101a Volta Ciclista a Catalunya

1a stage  Sant Feliu de Guíxols – Sant Feliu de Guíxols  171,2km  Michael Matthews
2a stage  L’Escala – Perpinyà  202,4km  Kaden Groves
3a stage  Perpinyà – La Molina  161,1km  Ben O’Connor
4a stage  La Seu d’Urgell – Boí Taüll  166,7km  Joao Almeida
5a stage  La Pobla de Segur – Vilanova i la Geltrú  206,3km  Ethan Vernon
6a stage  Costa Daurada (Salou-Cambrils)  167,6km  Richard Carapaz
7a stage   Barcelona – Barcelona  138,6km  Andrea Bagioli

Podium: Sergio Higuita / Richard Carapaz / Joao Almeida

 


2023

From the very first stage, the 102nd edition of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya showed that it would provide a long-awaited duel between Primož Roglič (Team Jumbo-Visma), a three-time winner of the Vuelta a España and podium finisher in all three Grand Tours, and the reigning World Champion Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quick Step), both with the Giro d'Italia in their sights. A duel of great prestige for a Volta that once again this year had a five-star participation and an exceptional route with three mountain finishes.

In the end, Roglič was able to lead the race from the first stage to the last to take a prestigious victory in his palmares, even though the duel was intense. The Slovenian took the lead with a win on the opening stage in Sant Feliu de Guíxols, winning in a power sprint over Evenepoel.

This was followed by two stages with mountain finishes. On the first, a second day between Mataró and the Vallter ski resort, Italian Giulio Ciccone (Trek-Segafredo) managed to beat the Slovenian and the Belgian in a thrilling sprint. Meanwhile, in the third stage with an unprecedented start in Olost and finish in La Molina with a passage through the Coll de Coubet and La Creueta, Evenepoel was able to beat Roglič and equalise the overall classification.

Equality was maintained in the fourth stage, disputed between Llívia and Sabadell, which was resolved with victory in a sprint by Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck). Everything seemed to be decided in the fifth stage, with a route through Terres de l'Ebre starting in Tortosa and the demanding finish in Lo Port, where Roglič made his experience count to take his second stage victory and extend his lead over Evenepoel to ten seconds.

Australian Groves repeated his victory in the sixth stage despite the battle on the hilly course starting in Martorell and finishing in Molins de Rei, which offered a new chapter of the duel between Roglič and Evenepoel that also monopolised the final stage in Barcelona. Slovenian and Belgian came out on the head of the race at the finish line at Avinguda Rius i Taulet, with the second stage victory for the World Champion without being able to overtake Roglič, who celebrated his victory on the final podium ahead of Evenepoel and Portuguese João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates), who repeated his podium from the previous edition.

102nd Volta Ciclista a Catalunya

 1st stage  Sant Feliu de Guíxols – Sant Feliu de Guíxols  164,6km    Primož Roglič
 2nd stage  Mataró – Vallter  165,4km  Giulio Ciccone
 3rd stage  Olost – La Molina  180,6km  Remco Evenepoel
 4th stage  Llívia – Sabadell  188,2km  Kaden Groves
 5th stage  Terres de l'Ebre (Tortosa-Lo Port)  176,6km  Primož Roglič
 6th stage  Martorell – Molins de Rei  174,1km  Kaden Groves
 7th stage  Barcelona – Barcelona  135,8km  Remco Evenepoel

Podium: Primož Roglič / Remco Evenepoel / João Almeida

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