Llívia will have a departure stage of la Volta 2023
September 5 th 2022 - 10:30
The 2023 Volta Ciclista a Catalunya will have a stage start in Llívia, as agreed by the city council and the organization of the race. Throughout the 101st editions of the race, Llívia has been present at the Volta eleven times, with three finishes and up to eight starts, the last one in 2018.
The history of the Volta and Llívia dates back to 1980, when the race made an appearance for the first time with an arrival. Starting in Cardona, the stage ended in Llívia and the victory was achieved by the Spaniard Juan Fernández. José Manuel Mestre (2002) and Jesús María Manzano (2003) were the winners in the other two arrivals that the municipality of Llívia has starred in the Catalan round.
In terms of stage starts, Llívia was a major player at the beginning of the century, with six consecutive stage starts between 2002 and 2007, where riders such as world champions Óscar Freire or Mark Cavendish celebrated victory leaving Llívia.
The two most recent precedents are in 2017 and 2018, with two stage starts that ended in Igualada and Vielha, respectively. In fact, in 2017 the weather conditions forced to neutralize the start, despite the fact that the control of signatures was carried out in the town.
In this next edition of 2023, in the 102nd edition of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya, Llívia will once again live and see the best cyclists in the world in its municipality, with a stage start that offers many possibilities for an attractive route.
“Llívia has always had a very special relationship with the Volta. Our population has a remarkable involvement with the world of sports and, very especially, with cycling. We are proud to once again host one of the stage starts of this edition of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya. This clear commitment reaffirms the image of Llívia as a sports town and places us on the map of sporting events in Catalonia and Spain. And, without a doubt, it gives more visibility to the economic and tourist potential of Llívia, and of the llivienc territory, beyond the region", declared Elies Nova, mayor of Llívia.
“Returning to Llívia is very special for us since every time we have come we have been treated in an unbeatable way. In addition, it is a town that thanks to its geographical location we can work in different scenarios to develop the best possible route. The citizens of Llívia will be able to see the best cyclists in the world again, and this does not happen every day”, said Rubèn Peris.
The Volta 2023, which in the last edition held more than 11 million unique spectators through Eurosport and which could be followed in 190 countries and on five continents, is beginning to define itself, with the aim of offering an attractive and demanding show for the major world figures.
The 102nd edition of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya will be held from March 20 to 26, 2023, and the 18 best teams in the world, the UCI WorldTeams, and 7 invited teams from the UCI ProTeams category will participate. The last winner of the race was the Colombian Sergio Higuita (Bora-Hansgrohe), accompanied on the podium by the Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz (INEOS Grenadiers) and the Portuguese Joao Almeida (UAE Team).
