The Volta a Catalunya 2022 will feature the stellar participation of eleven cyclists from Colombia, being the fifth country with the highest number of representatives behind the local Spain (38), France (17), Belgium (14) and Australia (13). The competition will start this Monday, March 21 in the city of Sant Feliu de Guixols and will end on the 27th, in Barcelona.
Nairo Quintana (Arkéa Samsic), who has just finished fifth in Paris-Nice, Rigoberto Urán (EF Education), Esteban Chaves (EF Education) and Sergio Higuita (BORA) are some of the benchmarks' Cafeteros' who will top the list of participants. Along with them will be Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain - Victorious), Winner Anacona (Arkéa Samsic), Jhojan Garcia (Caja Rural - Insurance), Ivan Ramiro Sosa (Movistar), Miguel Florez (Arkéa Samsic), Juan Sebastián Molano (UAE Team Emirates) and Sebastián Henao (Astana).
Other leaders of the international squad that will aspire to the title will be the Spaniard Alejandro Valverde, who has won the race three times (2009, 2017 and 2018), Simon Yates, second in the recent Paris-Nice, Richard Carapaz, João Almeida and Steven Kruijswijk, among others.
Although the race will feature demanding mountain passes, they will not be in abundance. Just as happened in the last edition, where the Volta had finals at the Vallter 2000 and Port Ainé ski resort, this time the high finals will take place in La Molina and Boi Taüll. This last climb makes its appearance again in the Volta after 20 years.
Here are three stages that will have a decisive factor in defining the new Volta a Catalunya 2022 champion. Likewise, these days seem favorable, due to their characteristics, in the face of potential attacks by Colombian cyclists.
After two days without major ports, the high mountain will say 'present', for the first time, on the third day, which will have an extension of 161.1 kilometers. The runners will start the route on flat terrain, in the city of Perpignan, and progressively climb more than 1,500 meters to Mont-Louis, the first class.
Following this, the runners will face a height and undertake a small descent to the height of kilometer 90. Then the climb to Collada de Tose will take place with 20.2 kilometers at an average incline of 3.1%. The descent, after passing this first-class port, will make the difference as it is extended to km 148.
La Molina, the last promotion of the day, will be prone to long attacks, should they be considered by the teams. Its 12.1 kilometers with an average inclination of 4.5 per cent allow several runners to impose a strong pace to select, on the one hand, those who will fight the stage, and on the other, the candidates for the general standings.
On March 24, what could be the queen stage of the Volta a Catalunya will be held. In 166.7 kilometres, cyclists will start from La Seu d'Urgell and finish in Boí Taüll, the most demanding mountain pass of this edition. Its characteristics vary compared to Vallter 2000, because, while the latter was more extensive, the former will be shorter but with higher percentages of inclination (13 kilometers at 6.0%).
In addition, it is necessary to have one aspect: before reaching Boí Taüll, the peloton will have passed through two other first-class ports (Coll de Boixols and Creu de Perves). The stage invites the 'capos de filas' to attack, since, after this stage, there will be no more mountain days to try to 'shake' the overall standings.
The closure in Barcelona (seventh fraction) can be treacherous, as the last 48 kilometers will consist of several chained ports, in the best style of monuments. Poor positioning could be expensive for trophy contenders.
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