An overabundance of big GC stars will battle it out in Spain this week at the Volta a Catalunya, which boasts one of the most impressive startlists of any race in recent memory. All of the big favorites for the upcoming Tour de France (and several outsiders too) will hope to put their skills on display in Catalunya, where a mountainous parcours should provide plenty of opportunities for excitement.
The Route
The Volta a Catalunya doesn’t waste time getting to the good stuff—there are several categorized climbs on the very first stage which could make for some GC action right from the get-go.
Stage 2 will give the stagehunters something to look forward to, thanks to its flatter finish, but heavier speedsters won’t like what comes next. Stage 3 takes the Catalunya peloton up four Cat. 1 climbs, culminating in a double ascent of La Molina. The ski resort at the top of the climb will inevitably be a major GC battleground in this race.
Things won’t really get easy in Stage 4. After a less challenging first 80 kilometers, the road angles upward for the special-category Port de Cantó, and things don’t end there. Up next is the Cat. 1 Alt de Enviny, and then a short decent, and then one last special-category climb, this time to Port Ainé. This stage will likely be the most decisive day in the race.
A late climb on Stage 5 may spur a few aggressors into action but the flat finish will likely hamper anyone with GC aspirations. Stage 6 is the flattest stage in the race, and the one day where a sprint seems almost certain.
The race concludes in Barcelona on a tough circuit that will pit the peloton against eight Montjuic climbs, certainly enough wear down anyone not in strong shape.
The General Classification Contenders
Richie Porte is the defending champion, and with 2015 stage winner Tejay van Garderen in the mix as well, BMC will have quite the impressive squad in Catalunya. But that doesn’t mean the red and black outfit won’t have a huge challenge on their hands.
Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas give Sky a formidable lead duo. This race may lack time trials, but many of the important climbs have the longer, lower-gradient characteristics that make them a prime target for Froome’s skillset.
Alberto Contador will take the start looking to make up last week’s narrow loss to Geraint Thomas at Paris-Nice. Given his current form, he won’t be easy to beat on these climbs.
Nairo Quintana is making his first racing appearance since the Colombian national championships, but keep in mind all the times he’s managed to pull off a big result in a big race without doing much in the way of tune-up racing. The mountainous route plays right into his strengths.
Likewise, Fabio Aru has yet to race a WorldTour event this year, but that doesn’t mean he can be counted out in the overall battle. Sans time trial mileage, this course suits him very well. It should also suit his up-and-coming Astana teammate Miguel Ángel López.
Former winners Joaquím Rodríguez (of Katusha) and Dan Martin (of Etixx-QuickStep) will hope to be in the GC conversation as well. Rodríguez has Ilnur Zakarin for backup.
Romain Bardet, Domenico Pozzovivo, Rafael Valls, Warren Barguil, Tom Dumoulin, Ryder Hesjedal, Julián Arredondo, Esteban Chaves, Mathias Frank, Rigoberto Urán, Daniel Moreno, Wilco Kelderman, and Robert Gesink are others on the very strong list of potential GC protagonists.
The Stagehunters
Nacer Bouhanni headlines a thin crop of sprinters, with Ben Swift among the few other names in attendance capable of winning a true sprint. Despite the short list of sprinting contenders, however, the list of punchy, aggressive types with stage win potential is long.
Simon Gerrans, Gianni Meersman, Julian Alaphilippe, and Jarlinson Pantano all fit that bill nicely. They could be in the conversation on Stages 2 and 5, and possibly in the final stage as well. Gerrans’s Orica-GreenEdge teammate Amets Txurruka could also be one to watch in the stagehunting game. As a breakaway specialist, he’ll have plenty of chances to get up the road in this race.
VeloHuman Top 10 Overall Favorites
Winner: Nairo Quintana
Podium: Alberto Contador, Fabio Aru
Other Top Contenders: Chris Froome, Richie Porte, Tejay van Garderen, Joauquím Rodríguez, Dan Martin, Romain Bardet, Geraint Thomas