VOLTA CATALUNYA

Origins of the race

The Volta Catalunya was dreamt up by cycling journalist Miquel Arteman, who worked at the local sports newspaper ‘El Mundo Deportivo’. Bizzarely, the very first edition ran from January 6th to January 8th, 1911. Three (chilly) stages, Barcelona to Tarragona, Tarragona to Lleida and Lleida to Barcelona. 34 riders set off, with 22 completing the event.

A tricky start

Unsuprisingly, it was a Catalan rider Seabastià Masdeu, who claimed the first overall victory, winning two of the three stages.

After two more highly successful editions, the race was suspended due to the First World War. In 1920 the race returned, with an extra two stages, heading into the Pyrenees mountains for the first time. Funding meant the next event didn’t occur until 1923.

However, from that year the Volta grew in size and popularity. With the 10th edition, in 1928, having 9 stages! The 1920s and 1930s became the era of Catalan cycling icon Mariano Cañardo, who became the leading figure of the Volta a Catalunya with seven victories.

The war years and beyond

During the Spanish Civil War, the race had its last interruptions in 1937 and 1938, hampering Cañardo’s winning streak. After the civil war, World War II broke out in the rest of Europe. Whilst Catalonia was war-ridden and despite lacking foreign participants, the race was at the peak of its popularity. It was now considered a symbol of Catalan sports culture. In 1945, marking the event’s 25th edition, the Volta Catalunya was uniquely run over two weeks, before returning to its seven-day format the next year.

Volta Catalunya - Illustrious riders and winners

Over the years, some of cycling’s greatest riders have won the race. Miguel Poblet won the Volta twice in the 1950s, Jacques Anquetil in 1967, Eddy Merckx in 1968, Luis Ocaña in 1971, and Sean Kelly in 1984 and 1986. Miguel Induráin, Spanish cycling icon of the modern era, won the race three times in the early 1990s. Colombian Álvaro Mejía became the first non-European winner in 1993.

From Autumn to Summer

From 1941 until 1994, the race was held in September. When UCI revolutionized the international cycling calendar in 1995, the Vuelta a España was awarded the September date and the Volta a Catalunya moved to June on the calendar. The race finished two weeks before the start of the Tour de France. Thus the Volta became the principal preparation race for general classification protagonists. Frenchman Laurent Jalabert won the 1995 edition, preceding his fourth place in that year’s Tour de France.

The Modern Era

Since the race’s earlier date on the calendar in late March, the Volta a Catalunya has started in one of the coastal resorts on the Costa Brava with a stage through rolling terrain inland, usually suited for sprinters.

The race reaches the Pyrenees mountains in the middle part of the race, although the mountains are usually less high than before the date shift, due to frequent snowy and cold conditions at high altitude in March. One of the regular climbs in the race is the summit finish to La Molina, an 11.6 km climb with a 4.8% average gradient. The ski resort in Alp takes the peloton deep into the Pyrenees to 1694 m altitude, with the weather often a decisive factor.

The race traditionally finishes with a hilly stage in Barcelona on a circuit, featuring eight trips over the Montjuïc climb and park.

A Word about Volta Catalunya Jerseys

The leader of the overall general classification receives a white-and-green striped jersey. There are also three other classifications. The winner of the points classification (sprints) wears a white-and-orange striped jersey. A white-and-red striped jersey for the winner of the mountain classification. Finally, the jersey of the Catalonia regional cycling team is for the best classified Catalan. The strips or bands represent the original ribbons that were pinned to the leaders’ jerseys, back when the event started.