La Seu d'Urgell, stage start in the next Volta a Catalunya
November 4 th 2025 - 11:00 [GMT + 1]
The capital of Alt Urgell, a classic in the history of the Volta, will host a stage start in the 2026 edition
The town of La Seu d'Urgell will be the starting point for one of the stages of the next edition of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya. The agreement reached with the local council, with which the century-old UCI World Tour event has a historic link, and the Provincial Council of Lleida will give the Lleida region a significant presence on the route of the 2026 Volta Catalunya.
A route that is currently revealing the start and finish locations for the next edition, which will take place between 23 and 29 March 2026. With the confirmation of the capital of Alt Urgell as the starting point for one of the seven stages of the race, the next edition of the UCI World Tour race guarantees a strong presence in one of the stages in the Lleida region thanks to the support of the Lleida Provincial Council and the La Seu d'Urgell Town Council, which will allow us to enjoy a diverse route throughout Catalonia.
The town, which has a population of almost 13,000, has a long history with the Volta, dating back to 1930. On that occasion, it hosted a stage finish of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya for the first time, which was won by the legendary Mariano Cañardo (the rider who holds the record for victories in the race, with a total of seven). Since then, La Seu has repeated the experience, hosting the men's race 22 times, while the women's stage race of the Volta was held for the first time in 2024. Of the 22 occasions on which the capital of Alt Urgell has seen the Catalan race pass through, it has hosted the start of a stage on 13 occasions, the last of which was in 2022, while on the remaining 9 occasions it has been the finish point. The last time the town saw the end of a stage of the Volta was in 2010, when the victory went to the memorable Xavi Tondo.
La Seu d'Urgell is a town closely linked to sport. The flow of the Segre and Valira rivers has encouraged the practice of rafting and provided the municipality with a technical centre for canoeing. With the celebration of the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, the Parc Olímpic del Segre was built, a facility that hosted canoeing in the slalom discipline. Likewise, its privileged setting in the Pyrenees makes La Seu an ideal place for outdoor sports activities, whether trekking, mountain biking, cycling...
The capital of Alt Urgell boasts an important Romanesque heritage. The Cathedral of Santa María, dating from the 12th century, is the only Romanesque cathedral preserved in Catalonia. Together with its cloister and the church of Sant Miquel, they offer visitors a getaway of great architectural interest. Likewise, La Seu d'Urgell is a very active city with numerous gastronomic and cultural offerings, attracting many tourists throughout the year.
The president of the Lleida Provincial Council, Joan Talarn, highlighted the collaboration between the two administrations: ‘At the Lleida Provincial Council, we are committed to promoting the region, and collaborating with this important sporting event, the start of the Volta Catalunya stage in La Seu d'Urgell, will be a great opportunity to put us on the country's sporting map.’
The city's mayor, Joan Barrera, said, ‘We are delighted to once again host a stage of the Volta. La Seu has always had a very special relationship with this race, and seeing the world's best cyclists ride through our streets is a source of pride for all the citizens of La Seu.’ Barrera added that ‘this opportunity reinforces La Seu d'Urgell's sporting vocation, a city that has managed to make sport an element of identity and promotion, with facilities such as the Parc Olímpic del Segre and our privileged natural environment in the Pyrenees. Hosting the Volta also means promoting our city and contributing to the revitalisation of the region and local trade.’ Finally, the mayor of La Seu thanked the Volta organisers and the Lleida Provincial Council ‘for their support.’ "We will make it a special day, with the support of all our citizens, because La Seu always responds when it comes to living life to the fullest.
For his part, Rubèn Peris, president of the Volta, expressed his gratitude for the support that the UCI World Tour event has always received from the municipality and institutions of Lleida: "La Seu d'Urgell is a name that will always be linked to the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya. Its commitment over the years and its dedication to cycling have been more than demonstrated by the numerous occasions on which it hosted the event. Furthermore, I am convinced that we will reveal a very attractive route through the Lleida region to the world. We always enjoy returning because the citizens always respond by supporting the participants and the Catalan race, creating a great atmosphere."
The Volta Ciclista Catalunya will reach its 105th edition between 23 and 29 March, with a total of seven stages covering the Catalan territory and where the presence of the Lleida region will be assured. In recent years, this race has seen the participation of cyclists who need no introduction, such as Tadej Pogacar, Remco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglic.
