Volta a Catalunya facts for kids
 2024 Volta a Catalunya |
|
| Logotip Volta Ciclista a Catalunya.png | |
| Race details | |
|---|---|
| Date | Late March |
| Region | Catalonia, Spain |
| English name | Tour of Catalonia |
| Local name(s) | Vuelta a Cataluña
Volta a Catalunya |
| Discipline | Road |
| Competition | UCI World Tour |
| Type | Stage race |
| Organiser | "Volta" Ciclista a Catalunya Associació Esportiva (Unió Esportiva de Sants) |
| Race director | Rubèn Peris |
| History | |
| First edition | 1911 |
| Editions | 103 (as of 2024) |
| First winner |  Sebastià Masdeu (ESP) |
| Most wins |  Mariano Cañardo (ESP) (7 wins) |
| Most recent |  Tadej Pogačar (SLO) |
The Volta a Catalunya (which means Tour of Catalonia) is a famous bicycle race that happens every year in Catalonia, Spain. It's one of the oldest and most important bike races in the world.
This race is one of three big World Tour races held in Spain. The others are the Vuelta a España and the Tour of the Basque Country. The Volta a Catalunya used to be held at different times of the year. But since 2010, it has been part of the UCI World Tour and takes place in late March.
The race lasts for seven days. It covers the beautiful region of Catalonia in Northeast Spain. Riders often face tough stages in the Pyrenees mountains. The race usually ends in Barcelona, Catalonia's capital city. The final stage often includes a challenging climb up Montjuïc hill.
The Volta a Catalunya started in 1911. This makes it the fourth-oldest bike race that is still happening today! Only the Tour de France (1903), the Tour of Belgium (1908), and the Giro d'Italia (1909) are older. A Catalan cycling hero named Mariano Cañardo won the race seven times. He set a record that no one has beaten yet.
In 2018, a special one-day race for women called reVolta was started. It happens on the same day as the last stage of the men's race.
Contents
History of the Race
Early Days of Cycling
The Volta a Catalunya was created in 1911. A cycling journalist named Miquel Arteman had the idea. He worked for a sports newspaper in Barcelona called El Mundo Deportivo. Arteman worked with Narcisse Masferrer, who led the Spanish Cycling Union, and Jaume Grau, the owner of the newspaper.
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The very first race was held from January 6 to 8, 1911. Forty-three riders signed up, and 34 started the race in Barcelona. The race had three stages, covering a total of 363 kilometers (about 225 miles). Twenty-two riders finished the race. A Catalan rider named Sebastià Masdeu won the first Volta a Catalunya. He won two of the stages and became the first overall winner. Riders rode at an average speed of 23 kilometers per hour (about 14 miles per hour).
The Club Deportivo Barcelona took over organizing the race in 1912 and 1913. The race was still three stages long. Many people came to watch along the roads, which were mostly unpaved back then. Local Catalan riders Josép Magdalena and Juan Martí won the next two races. After 1913, the Volta a Catalunya stopped for a while because of World War I. It started again in 1920 but then stopped again for two more years.
Race Returns and Growth
The race came back in 1923 for its fifth edition. A group called the Unión Deportiva de Sants took over the organization. This group also supported football teams in Barcelona. The race grew bigger and became a week-long event. It quickly became very important and started to attract riders from other countries, especially France and Italy. The 1920s and 1930s were a special time for Catalan cycling. This was when Mariano Cañardo became a legend, winning the Volta a Catalunya seven times!
The race had to stop again in 1937 and 1938 because of the Spanish Civil War. This break interrupted Cañardo's winning streak. After the civil war, World War II started in Europe. Even though Catalonia had been through war and fewer foreign riders could come, the race was still very popular. It was seen as an important symbol of Catalan sports. In 1945, for its 25th race, the Volta a Catalunya was held over two weeks. But it went back to its usual seven-day format the next year.
Modern Era of Champions
Over the years, many of cycling's greatest riders have won the Volta a Catalunya. Famous winners include Miguel Poblet in the 1950s, Jacques Anquetil in 1967, Eddy Merckx in 1968, and Luis Ocaña in 1971. Other big names like Felice Gimondi (1972), Francesco Moser (1978), and Sean Kelly (1984, 1986) also won. Miguel Induráin, a Spanish cycling superstar, won the race three times in the early 1990s. In 1993, Álvaro Mejía from Colombia became the first winner from outside Europe.
From 1941 to 1994, the race was held in September. But in 1995, the UCI changed the international cycling calendar. The Vuelta a España took the September spot, and the Volta a Catalunya moved to June. This meant the "Volta" became a key race for riders getting ready for the Tour de France. For example, Laurent Jalabert won the 1995 edition and then finished fourth in the Tour de France that same year.
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Sadly, in 1999, a young Spanish rider named Manuel Sanroma had a very serious accident during the race. He was a promising sprinter. The next day, the riders decided to ride the stage slowly to honor him.
Becoming a World Tour Race
In 2005, the Volta a Catalunya became part of the new UCI Pro Tour. The race date moved to May. That year, Ukrainian rider Yaroslav Popovych won. However, this May date wasn't ideal because it was at the same time as the Giro d'Italia.
So, in 2010, the race moved again, this time to late March. This spot used to be for another Catalan race called the Setmana Catalana. Joaquim Rodríguez, a top Catalan rider of his time, won the race twice after this change. In 2011, Alberto Contador won, but he later lost his title due to a doping test from the 2010 Tour de France. The victory was then given to the second-place rider, Michele Scarponi from Italy. The 2020 race was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Race Route
Since the race moved to late March, the Volta a Catalunya usually starts in one of the towns along the Costa Brava coast. The first stage often has rolling hills and is good for sprinters (fast riders).
In the middle of the race, the riders head into the Pyrenees mountains. The mountains might not be as high as in other races because of the snowy and cold weather in March. A regular climb in the race is the finish at La Molina. This climb is 11.6 kilometers (about 7 miles) long with an average steepness of 4.8%. This ski resort takes the riders deep into the Pyrenees, reaching an altitude of 1694 meters (about 5,558 feet). The weather here can often make the race very exciting and challenging!
The race traditionally finishes with a hilly stage in Barcelona. This stage includes eight laps around a circuit that goes over the famous Montjuïc climb and through its park.
Past Winners
| Rider | Team | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1911 |  |
Sebastià Masdeu | ||
| 1912 | |
Josép Magdalena | ||
| 1913 | |
Juan Martí | ||
| 1914– 1919 |
No race | |||
| 1920 |  |
José Pelletier | ||
| 1921 | No race | |||
| 1922 | No race | |||
| 1923 | |
Maurice Ville | Automoto-Hutchinson | |
| 1924 | |
Miquel Mucio | U.D. Sans | |
| 1925 | |
Miquel Mucio | U.D. Sans | |
| 1926 | |
Víctor Fontan | individual | |
| 1927 | |
Víctor Fontan | individual | |
| 1928 | |
Mariano Cañardo | Elvish-Wolber | |
| 1929 | |
Mariano Cañardo | F.C. Barcelona | |
| 1930 | |
Mariano Cañardo | Styl | |
| 1931 |  |
Salvador Cardona | individual | |
| 1932 | |
Mariano Cañardo | individual | |
| 1933 |  |
Alfredo Bovet | Bianchi | |
| 1934 | |
Bernardo Rogora | Gloria | |
| 1935 | |
Mariano Cañardo | Orbea | |
| 1936 | |
Mariano Cañardo | Colin–Wolber | |
| 1937 | No race | |||
| 1938 | No race | |||
| 1939 |  |
Mariano Cañardo | individual | |
| 1940 |  |
Christophe Didier | Alcyon–Dunlop | |
| 1941 | |
Antonio Andrés Sancho | individual | |
| 1942 | |
Fédérico Ezquerra | individual | |
| 1943 | |
Julián Berrendero | F.C. Barcelona | |
| 1944 | |
Miguel Casas | individual | |
| 1945 |  |
Bernardo Ruiz | individual | |
| 1946 | |
Julián Berrendero | Chiclès-Tabay | |
| 1947 | |
Emilio Rodríguez | U.D. Sans–Alas Color–Minaco | |
| 1948 | |
Emilio Rodríguez | U.D. Sans-Alas Color | |
| 1949 | |
Émile Rol | La Perle–Hutchinson | |
| 1950 | |
Antonio Gelabert | individual | |
| 1951 |  |
Primo Volpi | Arbos-Talbot | |
| 1952 | |
Miguel Poblet | Canals & Nubiola | |
| 1953 | |
Salvador Botella | individual | |
| 1954 | |
Walter Serena | Bottecchia-Ursus | |
| 1955 | |
José Gómez del Moral | Minaco | |
| 1956 | |
Aniceto Utset | Mobylette–Coabania | |
| 1957 | |
Jesús Loroño | ||
| 1958 |  |
Richard Van Genechten | ||
| 1959 | |
Salvador Botella | ||
| 1960 | |
Miguel Poblet | ||
| 1961 | |
Henri Duez | ||
| 1962 | |
Antonio Karmany | ||
| 1963 | |
Joseph Novales | ||
| 1964 | |
Joseph Carrara | ||
| 1965 | |
Antonio Gómez del Moral | ||
| 1966 |  |
Arie den Hartog | ||
| 1967 | |
Jacques Anquetil | ||
| 1968 | |
Eddy Merckx | ||
| 1969 | |
Mariano Díaz | ||
| 1970 | |
Franco Bitossi | ||
| 1971 | |
Luis Ocaña | ||
| 1972 | |
Felice Gimondi | ||
| 1973 | |
Domingo Perurena | ||
| 1974 | |
Bernard Thévenet | ||
| 1975 | |
Fausto Bertoglio | ||
| 1976 | |
Enrique Martínez | ||
| 1977 | |
Freddy Maertens | ||
| 1978 | |
Francesco Moser | ||
| 1979 |  |
Vicente Belda | ||
| 1980 | |
Marino Lejarreta | Teka | |
| 1981 | |
Faustino Rupérez | Zor | |
| 1982 |  |
Alberto Fernández | Teka | |
| 1983 | |
Josep Recio | Kelme | |
| 1984 |  |
Sean Kelly | Skil–Sem | |
| 1985 |  |
Robert Millar | Peugeot | |
| 1986 | |
Sean Kelly | KAS | |
| 1987 | |
Álvaro Pino | BH | |
| 1988 | |
Miguel Induráin | Reynolds | |
| 1989 | |
Marino Lejarreta | Caja Rural | |
| 1990 | |
Laudelino Cubino | BH | |
| 1991 | |
Miguel Induráin | Banesto | |
| 1992 | |
Miguel Induráin | Banesto | |
| 1993 |  |
Álvaro Mejía | Motorola | |
| 1994 | |
Claudio Chiappucci | Carrera Jeans–Tassoni | |
| 1995 | |
Laurent Jalabert | ONCE | |
| 1996 |  |
Alex Zülle | ONCE | |
| 1997 | |
Fernando Escartín | Kelme–Costa Blanca | |
| 1998 | |
Hernán Buenahora | Vitalicio Seguros | |
| 1999 | |
Manuel Beltrán | Banesto | |
| 2000 | |
José María Jiménez | Banesto | |
| 2001 | |
Joseba Beloki | ONCE–Eroski | |
| 2002 | |
Roberto Heras | U.S. Postal Service | |
| 2003 | |
José Antonio Pecharromán | Costa de Almería-Paternina | |
| 2004 | |
Miguel Ángel Martín Perdiguero | Phonak | |
| 2005 |  |
Yaroslav Popovych | Discovery Channel | |
| 2006 | |
David Cañada | Saunier Duval–Prodir | |
| 2007 |  |
Vladimir Karpets | Caisse d'Epargne | |
| 2008 | |
Gustavo César | Karpin–Galicia | |
| 2009 | |
Alejandro Valverde | Caisse d'Epargne | |
| 2010 | |
Joaquim Rodríguez | Team Katusha | |
| 2011 | |
Michele Scarponi | Lampre–ISD | |
| 2012 | |
Michael Albasini | GreenEDGE | |
| 2013 | |
Dan Martin | Garmin–Sharp | |
| 2014 | |
Joaquim Rodríguez | Team Katusha | |
| 2015 |  |
Richie Porte | Team Sky | |
| 2016 | |
Nairo Quintana | Movistar Team | |
| 2017 | |
Alejandro Valverde | Movistar Team | |
| 2018 | |
Alejandro Valverde | Movistar Team | |
| 2019 | |
Miguel Ángel López | Astana | |
| 2020 | No race | |||
| 2021 | |
Adam Yates | Ineos Grenadiers | |
| 2022 | |
Sergio Higuita | Bora–Hansgrohe | |
| 2023 |  |
Primož Roglič | Team Jumbo–Visma | |
| 2024 | |
Tadej Pogačar | UAE Team Emirates | |
Riders with Multiple Wins
Here are the riders who have won the Volta a Catalunya more than once:
| Wins | Rider | Editions |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Mariano Cañardo (ESP) |
1928, 1929, 1930, 1932, 1935, 1936, 1939 |
| 3 | Miguel Induráin (ESP) |
1988, 1991, 1992 |
| Alejandro Valverde (ESP) |
2009, 2017, 2018 | |
| 2 | Miguel Mucio (ESP) |
1924, 1925 |
 Victor Fontan (FRA) |
1926, 1927 | |
| Emilio Rodríguez (ESP) |
1947, 1948 | |
| Miguel Poblet (ESP) |
1952, 1960 | |
| Salvador Botella (ESP) |
1953, 1959 | |
| Marino Lejarreta (ESP) |
1980, 1989 | |
 Sean Kelly (IRL) |
1984, 1986 | |
| Joaquim Rodríguez (ESP) |
2010, 2014 |
Wins by Country
This table shows how many times riders from different countries have won the race:
| Wins | Country |
|---|---|
| 60 | Spain |
| 11 | France |
| 10 |  Italy |
| 5 |  Colombia |
| 3 |  Belgium Ireland |
| 2 |  Great Britain Slovenia Switzerland |
| 1 |  Australia Luxembourg Netherlands Russia Ukraine |
Most Stage Wins
This table lists the riders who have won the most individual stages in the race:
| # | Rider | Stage wins |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miguel Poblet (ESP) |
33 |
| 2 | Mariano Cañardo (ESP) |
22 |
| 3 | Domingo Perurena (ESP) |
14 |
| 4 | Emilio Rodríguez (ESP) |
12 |
| 5 | Mario Cipollini (ITA) |
11 |
| 6 | Miguel Gual (ESP) |
10 |
| 7 | Alejandro Valverde (ESP) |
9 |
| 8 | Laurent Jalabert (FRA) |
8 |
| Seán Kelly (IRL) |
8 | |
| Johan van der Velde (NED) |
8 | |
| Julián Berrendero (ESP) |
8 |
Medals in the General Classification
This table shows the total "medals" (wins, second places, and third places) by country in the overall race results from 1911 to 2023. It does not include individual stage results.
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spain |
60 | 64 | 62 | 186 |
| 2 | France |
11 | 6 | 11 | 28 |
| 3 | Italy |
10 | 9 | 10 | 29 |
| 4 | Colombia |
5 | 3 | 2 | 10 |
| 5 | Belgium |
3 | 6 | 3 | 12 |
| 6 | Ireland |
3 | 3 | 1 | 7 |
| 7 | Switzerland |
2 | 3 | 5 | 10 |
| 8 | Great Britain |
2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 9 | Slovenia |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 10 | Australia |
1 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| 11 | Netherlands |
1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Russia |
1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
| 13 | Luxembourg |
1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 14 | Ukraine |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 15 |  Austria |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
 Ecuador |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 17 |  Portugal |
0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 18 |  United States |
0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 19 |  Estonia |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals (19 entries) | 103 | 103 | 103 | 309 | |
Special Jerseys
In the Volta a Catalunya, different jerseys are given to the leaders of various categories:
- The leader of the overall race (the one with the fastest total time) wears a white-and-green striped jersey.
- The winner of the points classification (for sprinters who earn points in flat stages) wears a white-and-orange striped jersey.
- The best climber (who earns points on mountain climbs) wears a white-and-red striped jersey.
- There's also a special jersey for the best rider from Catalonia.
- Finally, there's a team classification for the best overall team.
See also
In Spanish: Volta a Cataluña para niños
- Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme
- Tour of the Basque Country
- Vuelta a España
- UCI ProTour
