The Volta returns to measure the illustrious world squad

The Volta a Catalunya reaches its 101st editionto be held from March 21 to 27full of illustrious names at the starting signal that will serve to measure the state of form of the greats of the world squad in the first part of the season and that predict a more distributed podium than last year, which was completely taken over by the INEOS team.

The Olympic champion, the Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz (INEOS)and winners of La Volta like the Spanish Alejandro Valverde (Movistar)the Colombian Nairo Quintana (Team Arkea) and the australian Richie Porte (INEOS)second overall in the previous edition and fourth in the final classification of the recent Tirreno-Adriatico.

INEOS, which last year achieved a historic hat-trick on the final podium, brings back the most powerful line-up of the 24 participating teams. In addition to Carapaz and Porte, the cyclist will also be getxoztarra Jonathan Castroviejo and the Polish Michal Kwiatkowski.

But there is other names that promise to offer fight in the general: Colombians Rigoberto Urán and Esteban Chaves (EF Education-Easy Post), who arrived with very little shooting on his legs; the Spanish Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates), who made a great performance in the Tirreno-Adriatico; the Portuguese Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) and the British Simon Yates (Team BikeExchange-Jayco).

For Valverde, with 41 years, It will be the last Volta of his professional career and, therefore, the last opportunity to extend his track record in the competition, in which he has three overall wins (2009, 2017 and 2018). In the Movistar team he will be shielded by the Spaniards Carlos Verona and José Joaquín Rojas, and the Colombian Iván Sosa.

Without the Slovenian stars

On the other hand, INEOS will not finally bring the winner of the previous edition, the British Adam Yates. The Slovenians will not be in this Volta either primoz roglic (Jumbo-Visma), recent winner of the Paris-Nice; Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates), winner last week of the Tirreno-Adriatico; and Matej Mohoric (Bahrain Victorious), which won the Milan-San Remo this Saturday.

Two days of high mountain

The first positions in the general classification will probably be decided in the two high mountain stages, ending in La Molina and Boí Taüll, in a route that will begin this Monday in Sant Feliu de Guíxols and will end next Sunday in the traditional finale on the mountain of Montjuïc in Barcelona, ​​which will be climbed six times.

In addition, La Volta will return to Perpignan after 67 years. There the second stage will end and the third will begin. The sprinters, led by the Australian Michael Matthews (Team BikeExchange-Jayco), fourth in Milan-San Remo, will have their big chance in the fifth stage, between La Pobla de Segur and Vilanova i la Geltrú.

The stages

1st stage, March 21: Sant Feliu de Guíxols – Sant Feliu de Guíxols, 171.2 km.

2nd stage, March 22: L’Escala – Perpinyà, 202.4 km.

Stage 3, March 23: Perpinyà – La Molina, 161.1 km.

Stage 4, March 24: La Seu d’Urgell – Boí Taüll, 166.7 km.

5th stage, March 25: La Pobla de Segur – Vilanova i la Geltrú, 206.3 km.

Stage 6, March 26: Salou – Cambrils, 167.6 km.

Stage 7, March 27: Barcelona – Barcelona, ​​138.6 km.

This is the recoregut of the @voltacatalunya 2022! do

¿¿This is the official tour of the #VoltaCatalunya 2022!

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

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