Strong winds strike again as Coll de Pal summit finish shortened at Volta a Catalunya

The summit finish on stage 5 of the Volta a Catalunya, the Coll de Pal, has been reduced by 2.2km due to strong winds. 

Stage 5 features five categorised climbs with four at the category one level or higher. The final ascent of the Coll de Pal was slated with the special category status, as it is one of the most difficult climbs in the 2026 Volta a Catalunya. 

The climb, the Coll de Pal, features for the first time in the Volta a Catalunya since 1979, when Ricardo Zuñiga was victorious; however, the peloton won’t be tackling the climb as exactly intended. 

The finish was originally set to be 2,085 metres above sea level according to the official race website. However, due to strong winds, the race organisers have decided to shorten the final ascent by 2.2km, meaning the stage will finish at the height of the Sant Jordi refuge. 

In an official statement, the race organisers stated, "Due to the weather forecast of wind, today's stage at La Molina/Coll de Pal suffers a slight modification. The stage will finish 2.2km before the original plan."

It’s the second consecutive stage that the race organisers have been forced to adapt the route of the Volta a Catalunya due to weather conditions. 

Stage 4 was set to see the first summit finish of the race at Vallter 2000, but strong winds meant that the organisers had to alter the route, giving the fastmen another opportunity, which Ethan Vernon duly took, winning his third career stage win at the Volta a Catalunya.

Dorian Godon has led the GC since he won the opening stage in Sant Feliu de Guíxols, but stage 5 is expected to see the contenders for the GC come to the fore. Tom Pidcock sits 2nd, 0:13 behind Godon, with Remco Evenepoel in 3rd at 0:14 and Jonas Vingegaard in 4th at 0:24.