The Volta 102 returns to Lo Port, the monumental peak of Terres de l'Ebre
July 27 th 2022 - 15:30
The stage of the 102nd edition of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya in Terres de l'Ebre will have as a great novelty the final ascent to the Mont Caro, one of the toughest and most spectacular climbs in Catalonia. Starting in Tortosa and a route that will show the great cycling options of Terres de l'Ebre, the Volta will face this high finish for the fourth time in its history.
As on previous occasions (1985, 1991 and 2017), the finish line, as the result of the indispensable structure that moves a UCI World Tour event like the Volta, will be located at the Mirador del Portell, with a total distance of 8.4 km, a average slope of 9% and maximum ramps of 20%.
An "hors categorie"climb, which together with the already announced mountain finishes of La Molina and Vallter will make the 102nd edition of the Volta one of the most mountainous and hardest editions of la Volta, with three finishes only suitable for first level climbers.
The winners of Mont Caro are so far led by two Colombians, Alirio Chizabas (1985, with Kelme) and the legendary Lucho Herrera (1991, Manzana Postobón), and by former world champion Alejandro Valverde (2017, with Movistar) . On this next occasion, the range of possible winners will be very wide given the magnificent participation of la Volta.
The stage start will be in one of the most classic and historical towns of the Volta: Tortosa. The capital of Terres de l’Ebre has been linked to the Volta as a stage start or finish on up to 68 occasions, especially during the 20th century.
On the other hand, in the 21st century there has only been one start recently, in 2017, with a stage finish in Reus. In the city of Tortosa, renowned cyclists such as Mariano Cañardo, Miquel Poblet, Federico Martín Bahamontes or Mario Cipollini, among many others, have won a stage.
“Mont Caro is one of the toughest climbs in Catalonia, and doing a stage through Terres de l’Ebre gave us this great opportunity that we could not miss. We will start the stage from one of the towns with more history in la Volta, Tortosa, and we will also discover a fabulous territory for cycling”, said Rubèn Peris, president of the Volta.
“The Volta a Catalunya is a unique opportunity to show the diversity of landscapes offered by the Parc Natural del Delta, the Parc Natural dels Ports and the entire territory that is a Biosphere Reserve and also to invite the public to discover its culture and its gastronomy at any time of the year through cycle tourism, declares Meritxell Roigé, president of the Patronat de Turisme de la Diputació de Tarragona and mayor of Tortosa, who also recalled the "very important commitment that has been made from Tortosa to position the city as a benchmark cycling destination.
The route of the stage will be defined in the coming months, and will value an ideal terrain not only for competition, but also for the practice of sports cycling, thanks to the quantity and quality of quiet roads that there are, which run close to of river, sea and mountain.
The 102nd edition of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya will take place from March 20 to 26, 2023, where the best teams in the world will seek to succeed the Colombian from BORA-Hansgrohe Sergio Higuita.
