2022 La Volta cycling race starts in Costa Brava with several favorites

Catalonia’s cycling race, La Volta Ciclista, returns to the territory, split into seven stages across several municipalities. Stage one started on Monday in Costa Brava’s town of Sant Feliu de Guíxols and the race will end on Sunday in Barcelona after riding for 1,213.7 kilometers.

This is the 101st edition of La Volta Ciclista, one of the oldest cycling races, as the first edition was held in 1911. Just two years after the first Giro d'Italia (1909) and eight years after the first Tour de France race, in 1903.

In 2020, La Volta’s 99th edition was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, while the 100th edition was held last year without spectators at the start or finish lines. 

In the 2022 edition, there are several cyclists tipped to win the trophy, such as Equatorian Olympic champion Richard Carapaz, running for INEOS’ team, or previous La Volta winners: the Spanish Alejandro Valverde (Movistar team), Colombian Nairo Quintana (Team Arkea), or Australian Richie Porte, also representing INEOS. 

Stage one around the Baix Empordà and Alt Empordà counties in northeast Catalonia will start and finish in Sant Feliu de Guíxols. Cyclists will compete for first position in a 171.2-kilometer race.

Stage two will also start on the Costa Brava, in the town of L’Escala on Tuesday, March 22, and will finish in the French city of Perpignan. It will be the first time in 67 years that La Volta Ciclista will return to the border municipality.

Cyclists will also compete around the Pyrenean municipalities of La Seu d’Urgell and Boí Taüll, the southern towns of Vilanova i la Geltrú, Salou, and Cambrils, and in the Catalan capital, Barcelona, for the last stage on Sunday 27. 

🚴Aquest és el recorregut de la @voltacatalunya 2022! 😊

🗺️ ¡Este es el recorrido oficial de la #VoltaCatalunya 2022!

😍 Here you have the #VoltaCatalunya101 itinerary! pic.twitter.com/ngQ0BbvU3y

— Volta a Catalunya (@VoltaCatalunya) March 9, 2022

In stage seven, cyclists will have to climb Barcelona’s Montjuïc mountain up to six times. This part of the race will be 138.5 kilometers long. 

2023 Spanish La Vuelta cycling race in Catalonia

Barcelona will be the starting point of La Vuelta cycling race 2023. The city will host the first stage as well as the finish line for the second one. This will be the first time La Vuelta starts in the Catalan capital since 1962.

Stage one of La Vuelta cycling race will be a team time trial, as announced on January 24, 2022 by local authorities. The city will also host the presentation of the cycling teams and be part of the official advertisement of the race.

The final route is still unknown as it will be announced by the end of 2022 or early in 2023.