Vallter 2000 and Port Ainé, the mountain stages of the "Volta" of the centenary
July 19 th 2019 - 11:00
The Volta Ciclista in Catalunya presents new features in the route for its centennial edition, which will take place from March 23rd to 29th, 2020. The ski resorts of Vallter 2000, located in the municipality of Setcases, and the ski resort of Port Ainé, in the municipality of Rialp, will be decisive for the options of the top cyclists.
The spectacle in the mountain of the edition number 100 of the Volta is assured with the presence of these two finishes in the ski stations of Ferrocarrils of the Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC) of Vallter 2000 and of Port Ainé.
Vallter 2000 has become a reference port in the "Volta" in recent years. In fact, it was one of the great protagonists of the last edition, with victory of the British cyclists Adam Yates. United States cyclist Tejay Van Garderen (2014) and Colombian Nairo Quintana (2013) have also recently achieved prestigious victories in this season. The Swiss Tony Rominger (1992) and Juan Fernández (1986) complete the record of victories in this port of the "Volta".
The Vallter 2000 station, with more than 40 years of activity as a ski slope, is making a determined commitment to cycling, and has recently painted the last eleven turns with the names of reference cycling events. The port has some hard characteristics, with a distance logner than 11km, an average incline of 7.6% and a maximum ramp of 18%.
For its part, Port Ainé will be visited for the fourth time in the history of the "Volta". The Slovenian Janez Brajkovic opened the track record with a triumph in 2012, the Irishman Daniel Martin did it in 2013 - when he won the general classification of the "Volta" - and the Belgian Thomas de Gendt won for the last time in 2016.
Four years later, the Catalan race will return to visit Port Ainé, a port of 18.5km, with an average incline of 6.8% and maximum ramps of up to 15%. The station was inaugurated in 1986 and is surrounded by the Natural Park of the High Pyrenees.
