Barcelona and the Volta, a winning combination that has endured since 1911
November 12 th 2025 - 11:00 [GMT + 1]
The Catalan capital has been involved in the Volta since its inception, in a gesture that reaffirms its loyalty to the Catalan UCI World Tour event.
On March 29 and June 21, Barcelona will once again be the final stage of the men's and women's editions of the Volta, just a few weeks before hosting the Grand Départ of the 2026 Tour.
Barcelona consolidates its presence as the emblem of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya. The Catalan capital, an icon of the race since 1911, will once again offer us a great cycling spectacle in the final stage of the Catalan tour, which will take place on 29 March. Likewise, Barcelona City Council is committed to women's sport and will once again host the final stage of the women's stage race, which will be held on 21 June 2026.
The Volta Ciclista a Catalunya, which will take place between 23rd and 29th March, has always featured Barcelona as the start and/or finish line for some of its stages since its first edition, reaffirming the city's role as a sporting benchmark and meeting point for elite cycling. It was on Three Kings Day in 1911 when the first edition of the race set off from Barcelona, finishing three days later. Since then, the capital of Catalonia has been present in every one of the 104 editions of the cycling race, the oldest in international elite cycling after the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia.
Barcelona thus tops the ranking of cities most visited by the Volta, and it is also with Montjuïc as the main setting that the race has ended since 2013, consolidating itself as one of the most emblematic venues in world cycling. The traditional laps of Montjuïc will once again capture the attention of the world's media, which was so decisive in the last edition of the race and allowed Slovenian Primoz Roglic to add his second Volta a Catalunya to his list of achievements. The ‘magic mountain’ has also witnessed victories by stellar riders such as Tadej Pogacar (2024), Remco Evenepoel (2023), Alejandro Valverde (2015 and 2017) and Thomas De Gendt (2013 and 2021).
Other iconic locations in the city such as Las Ramblas, Via Laietana and Plaça Catalunya also featured prominently in the Volta route in the 1980s and 1990s, witnessing victories by some of the biggest stars in world cycling. Thanks to the agreement between the Catalan race and Barcelona City Council, we will continue to enjoy a great spectacle that will bring the best teams and cyclists in the world to our region, a commitment that the city is also making with the women's Volta race.
Grand finale of the women's Volta race: 19 to 21 June As with the men's race, Barcelona has been in the final stage of the women's Volta Ciclista a Catalunya stage race since its inception three years ago. The city council's commitment to women's sport, and especially to the women's Volta, will once again thrill the public on the final day of the race, which will be held on 21 June. The women's race ended with victories in both editions of the UCI 2.1 category race going to cyclists of great international prestige. We are talking about Dutch cyclist Mariane Vos, considered by many to be the best cyclist of all time in the first edition, and her compatriot Demi Vollering, European champion a few weeks ago, who lifted the trophy as champion of the 2nd edition of the Catalan race last June.
David Escudé, Councillor for Sports at Barcelona City Council, said: "Our city will be the world capital of cycling throughout 2026 and, as expected, it will also play a leading role in the Volta. We are very pleased to announce that the closing stages of both the men's and women's editions will once again be in Barcelona, this time just a few weeks before the Grand Départ of the Tour de France."
For his part, Rubén Peris, president of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya, highlighted Barcelona's potential within the framework of the UCI World Tour: "The Volta and Barcelona have always moved forward together, united by a history of passion and effort. The Catalan capital has become an essentially irreplaceable partner in the mission to consolidate the Volta as one of the most prestigious events on the international calendar. Barcelona's global appeal and unique settings offer the best possible finale for a century-old event that beats with the spirit of the city. Barcelona enhances the Volta, just as the Volta exalts Barcelona as a sports tourism destination."
Barcelona will once again host a spectacular event with both the men's and women's Volta a Catalunya in 2026. These are two unmissable events for cycling enthusiasts, who will be able to see and enjoy up close all the infrastructure that surrounds events of this magnitude.
The Volta Ciclista a Catalunya enjoys the strong support of the Generalitat de Catalunya (Catalan Regional Government), through its Department of Sport, the provincial councils and the towns where the race starts and finishes, which is essential for the smooth running of a sporting event of this magnitude. It is also worth highlighting the commitment of the sponsors, whose participation is essential for consolidating the Volta as an event on the UCI World Tour calendar.
