La Molina and Boí Taüll, the climbs of la Volta 101
July 5 th 2021 - 11:00
The FGC mountain stations of La Molina and Boí Taüll will be the two top finals of the 101st edition of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya, which will take place from March 21 to 27 of 2022. Two vibrant scenarios where the best cyclists in the world must give their all to achieve the final victory.
After visiting Vallter and Port Ainé in the 100th edition of the Volta, La Molina and Boí Taüll take over from the high mountains in the Volta. La Molina has been a habitual port in recent times, while Boí Taüll returns 20 years later after the last occasion, in which it will be the sixth time in its history that the competition ends in the mountain station of the region from l'Alta Ribagorça.
After a year of absence, La Molina will once again be the protagonist in a finish lived up to six times in the Volta, all in the last decade. Alejandro Valverde in two occasions (2017 and 2018), Joaquim Rodríguez (2014), Tejay Van Garderen (2015), Dan Martin (2016) and Miguel Ángel López (2019) have been the brilliant winners.
Boí Taüll will be one of the great contemporary novelties in the high mountain of the Volta, since it will be 20 years since the last occasion in which a final stage was carried out (an individual time-trial with the victory of the basque Aitor Garmendia in 2002). José María “Chava” Jiménez (1995), the italians Claudio Chiapucci (1994) and Iván Gotti (2001) and the colombian Hernán Buenahora (1998) are the other cyclists who have won in Boi Taüll, and due to the quality of the winners it can be deduced that it is an ascent only available to great cyclists.
With a distance of 14km and an average grade of more than 5.5% (with maximum slopes of 12%), Boí Taüll is a port where important differences can be established for an edition of the Volta that will once again meet the best teams and cyclists of the world.
The president of FGC, Marta Subirà, affirmed that “our annual commitment with the Volta stands since 2012. Ferrocarrils supports competitive sports in various disciplines and modalities from the different parts of the territory where we are present, because we promote a style of healthy life and sustainability. On the other hand, the involvements in the important events that promote the country, such as the Volta, are also a key element in the involvement and strategy of FGC"
"La Molina has already become a classic of the Volta and returning to Boí Taüll twenty years later makes us very excited. I think they will be two spectacular finishes stages in an edition that presents many newness, and that as always, can be seen around the world on television thanks to the great media coverage of the race ”, said the general director of the Volta, Rubèn Peris.
The 101st edition of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya is being defined with much newness. Sant Feliu de Guíxols will be the Great Start of the race, after nine consecutive editions starting in Calella, and the confirmation of the high mountain stages in La Molina and Boi Taüll guarantees a great show. More start and finishes stages will be defined in the near future.
Fotografies: Claudio Chiapucci guanya a Boí Taüll l'any 1994 // Alejandro Valverde triomfa a La Molina l'any 2018 (Arxiu Volta)