Volta a Catalunya 2026 route - Stage-by-stage guide

For the fifth edition running, the Volta a Catalunya begins in the coastal town of Sant Feliu de Guíxols, with an out-and-back loop, taking on the climbs of the surrounding area.

Sant Feliu de Guíxols is a town which is situated on the Costa Brava and is an important port and tourist centre. The town is situated 30 kilometres away from Girona, which is considered a cycling haven by many.

The route for the opening stage in 2026 differs in the first half from previous editions, with the inclusion of a difficult category climb to Alt de Sant Hilari. This long ascent could cause plenty of problems, but with the summit coming almost 100km from the finish, it is likely to serve a purpose as building fatigue, rather than splitting the race apart.

The finale hits all the similar notes of last year though, passing from Llagostera and Tossa de Mar inside the final rolling 50km, with plenty of lumps and bumps that can sting the legs. 

Inside the final 10km, the road descends in a twisty and technical nature on the run-in back to town, and as we saw last year, things can get nervy, particularly if the weather turns poor. For confident technicians, it also serves as an opportunity to try and break clear, if the conditions are in place, as Tibor Del Grosso was able to do last year

Once back into town, attention turns towards the long, straightforward uphill drag to the finish line, where Matthew Brennan produced the sprint of all sprints, twelve months ago, catching Del Grosso on the line, to take his first WorldTour win.

Twelve months ago, the second stage began in Banyoles and concluded in Figueres, and was won by Ethan Vernon in a sprint finish. This year, the roles are reversed, as this 167.4km kicks off in Figueres. 

The town of Figueres is the birthplace of famous artist Salvador Dalí, and based on the race organisers' description of the route as flat, it is the fast men who will be hoping to paint the perfect sprint masterpiece at the finish.

It won’t be easy, however, as no stage in the Volta a Catalunya is truly flat, even the flat ones have managed to pack over 2,000 metres of elevation gain. 

The second half of the stage features more of the day’s climbing, mainly around the town of Olot. The run-in to the finish should be fast, before the final 500 metres to Banyoles rises to the finish line, which will naturally favour some fast finishers more than others. 

The third stage, which is 159.4km in length, starts and finishes in the coastal area of Costa Daurada. The town of Mont-roig del Camp will serve as a host town for the very first time, and this is where the riders will depart from, as they pass through the Costa Daurada landscape, with the finish in nearby Vila-seca.

Out of the neutral zone, the riders will have the Alt de la Mussara on the horizon, a first-category ascent. The climb starts just under 30km into the stage, and the road rises to 965 metres above sea level by the summit. 

The climbing continues, even on the step-like descent, taking the riders to the foot of the less challenging Coll de Capafons. The climb has earned a second category status from the race organisers, with the elevation reaching 920m above sea level. 

The summit of the climb is 50km into the stage, and with only one categorised climb remaining with over 100km left in the stage, any riders who have found themselves in trouble will have time to try and find their way back to the peloton. 

That climb is the category three Coll Roig, the least difficult of the three on paper, before a descent follows towards a flat run-in to the finish in Vila-seca.

Looking for the high altitude tests? This is the first that will have its say on the GC standings. This is the first of three consecutive summit finishes, and the one that reaches the highest altitude, with the summit of Vallter sitting 2,110m above sea level. 

Beginning in Mataró, the climb features a pair of categorised climbs in the first 40km, the category three Coll de Parpers, and the category two Alt de Sant Feliu de Codines. 

Both of these climbs have been dwarfed on the stage profile, however, due to the first summit finish of the race. The climb to Vallter is 11.4km in length, averaging 7.6%, and was the setting for a Tadej Pogačar victory in inclement weather conditions. 

The length, gradient and altitude could all come into play in this stage, and those who desire the race leadership will need to perform well here, as GC challenges can go up in smoke on a climb of this nature.

Stage 5 features the most climbing in this year’s race with a total of 4,455 metres of elevation packed in over 155.3km from La Seu d’Urgell to La Molina, where a summit finish awaits on the Coll de Pal. 

The stage begins in La Seu d'Urgell, which last served as a host town back in 2010, where the late Xavier Tondo outsprinted Joaquim Rodríguez on the third stage. 

In total, there are five categorised climbs, four of which are category one or above, underlining why this is such a pivotal stage.

The Port Colldarnat, Coll de Josa, Coll de Fumanya, and Collada Sobirana are all stern tests that can throw the cat among the pigeons. All are set to build fatigue, with the latter two potentially seeing real action from the GC contenders.

However, the main attraction of this fifth stage is the summit finish in the Coll de Pal. It’s a momentous occasion, as the Coll de Pal features for the first time in the race since 1979, when Ricardo Zuñiga was victorious. 

The climb is a beast, at 18.9km in length and with an average gradient of 7%. The altitude will also be a factor, with the summit sitting 2,085 metres above sea level, on a climb that will have major consequences for the final GC standings.

Stage 6 hosts the third consecutive and final summit finish of this year’s Volta a Catalunya. Taking place across 158.2km, with four categorised climbs on the menu, the stage begins in the town of Berga, where Quinn Simmons was victorious twelve months ago. 

The majority of the stage was set to take place twelve months ago, but the route had to be adapted due to weather conditions.

The first climb comes around 60km into the stage, and it’s the category three Coll de la Batallola, but it’s the next climb that is one of the most significant in the entire race, the special category Coll del Pradell

The Coll del Pradell was one of three climbs removed from last year’s race due to high wind risks, resulting in a significantly reduced stage, won by Simmons, after an attack inside the final kilometre, which denied the sprinters. 

The climb reaches 1,720 metres above sea level, the highest point in the stage. The summit is 58km from the finish line, so it would take a bold move to go all in for the win at this point in the stage from a GC perspective, but it is possible considering the format of the remainder of this stage. 

A two-part descent follows over the next 20km, separated by a small rise past Pedraforca, before another climb that was removed last year, the category one Collada de Sant Isidre. The summit of the climb comes inside the final 30km, before a lumpy run-in to the final test of the day.

Finally, the stage finishes atop the category one climb to Queralt, which was also culled from last year’s race. Tadej Pogačar also romped his way to victory on these slopes back in 2024 at the end of a 30km solo effort. 

Those who regularly watch the Volta a Catalunya will be familiar with this traditional finale. Though not a mountain stage, the hills around Barcelona often provide a race packed with fireworks inside the 95.1km. 

The first 40km serves the purpose of warming up the legs before the riders hit the final circuit, which they will tackle seven times. The circuit in question features an ascent of the Alto del Castell de Montjuïc, which often serves as a launchpad for attacks. Though with the way the 7.9km circuit is designed, there are opportunities to gamble before and after the climb.

The final kilometre is downhill, meaning that in the event of a group sprint, it's difficult to make up positions before the finish line.

Additionally, this year the stage has an added significance as Montjuïc will feature in the Grand Depart when the Tour de France kicks off in Barcelona this Summer.