Banyoles and Figueres will experience the spectacle of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya in 2025 and 2026.
October 25 th 2024 - 11:00 [GMT + 2]
Both Girona towns have a long association with the race, dating back to the 1920s.
The next edition of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya will have a stage that will run through Girona with a stage starting in Banyoles and finishing in the town of Figueres. The two county capitals have been present on numerous occasions on the route of the Volta, climbing up to 39 times in the case of the capital of Alt Empordà, and a total of 23 times in the case of the capital of Pla de l'Estany.
The organizers of the Volta have reached an agreement with the respective town councils and the Girona Provincial Council to include in the next edition of the event a stage that will start in Banyoles and finish in Figueres, a city that 56 years later will once again experience the spectacle of the Volta. This agreement also includes a stage for the 2026 edition, which will start in Figueres and finish in Banyoles. The stage will cover a large part of the Girona area, with a presence in counties such as Pla de l'Estany, Gironès, Baix Empordà and Alt Empordà.
The capital of Pla de l'Estany has a population of over 20,000 inhabitants. Its privileged location halfway between the Costa Brava and the Pyrenees means that, together with the surrounding municipalities, it forms part of a place of great historical, tourist and scenic interest. One of the most important signs of identity of the municipality is its lake, a unique space of great geological, ecological, scenic and cultural value. With an approximate length of 2,150 metres, a maximum width of 775 metres and a surface area of 111.7, it is the largest non-coastal lake in Catalonia in which water is born naturally.
The Volta has visited Banyoles a total of 23 times, the last time in 2021 in a time trial starting and finishing in the town. On 11 occasions it has been the starting point, while on 12 it has been the finishing point of the stage. The first time that Banyoles formed part of the Volta route as the main venue was in 1927. A stage with a finish in Banyoles was won by the Frenchman Georges Cuvelier, other winners have been world-class sprinters such as Alessandro Petacchi (2011), Mark Cavendish (2010) or Erik Zabel (1999).
The sports councillor of Banyoles City Council, Jordi Congost, expressed his satisfaction with this agreement, stressing that ‘it is a source of pride for the city to once again be one of the venues of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya, a centenary event that is deeply rooted in the territory’, adding that ‘Banyoles has a very close link with sport in general, but also with cycling’. Figueres, the capital of Alt Empordà, is the epicenter of the region. Surrounded by three natural parks, it is a paradise for sports and especially for cycling. Figueres also has many cultural attractions, the most famous of which is the Dalí Theatre-Museum, as well as others such as the Toy Museum and the Electricity Museum.
Figueres has been the protagonist as a Volta city on 39 occasions, closing the Top 10 of cities that have hosted the start and/or finish of a stage of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya. On 20 occasions it hosted a stage start, one of them representing the great start of the Catalan race in 1969, the last time the city hosted the Volta. The first start dates to 1923, while the last time Figueres hosted a Volta finish was in 1968, a stage won by Belgian Roger Swerts. The capital of Alt Empordà has seen other winners such as the Catalan Miquel Poblet (1949 and 1951), or the Dutch winner of a Tour de France, Jan Janssen (1967). The mayor of Figueres,
Jordi Masquef, has expressed satisfaction of the municipality for once again hosting a top-level event such as the Volta;’. We are very proud to once again be part of one of the best races in the world. Figueres has been historically linked to cycling with events such as the Volta Ciclista al Empordà or the Cinturon Ciclista and to be able to host again a stage of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya, both in 2025 and 2026, is an honour for the city and great news for cycling fans. Figueres and the Alt Empordà is a land of cyclists, there is a lot of passion for cycling and I am convinced that we will enjoy a great show with our city as the backdrop for the end of a stage of La Volta. I would also like to emphasise that the spectacle of this stage will not only be experienced in Figueres and Banyoles, but also in several towns in the Alt Empordà, Baix Empordà and Pla de l'Estany regions.” For his part, the President of Girona Provincial Council,
Miquel Noguer, said: “To speak of the Volta is to speak of one of the great symbols of Catalan sport, due to its roots in the territory and the strength of its organization, which has been running for over one hundred years. Thanks to this prestige, it has become a first-rate international showcase for projecting the image of our municipalities abroad and promoting them in terms of tourism. For this reason, we at Girona Provincial Council are delighted to support the event year after year. We are proud that municipalities such as Banyoles and Figueres, in this case, can enjoy an event that features the best cyclists in the world.”
Rubèn Peris, general director of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya highlighted the loyalty of the municipalities to the race; “Figueres and Banyoles have been part of the history of the Volta since its beginnings. Their involvement over the years makes us proud, as they see the Catalan race as an opportunity to promote the city through a world-class event. We are sure that we will experience a stage between the two cities that will make us enjoy the landscapes of the area and the best cycling in the world.”
The Volta Ciclista a Catalunya is preparing for a 104th edition that is sure to be the focus of worldwide media interest. Renowned names in cycling today such as Tadej Pogacar (winner of the Volta 2024), Remco Evenepoel (2nd classified Volta 2023) or Primoz Roglic (winner of the Volta 2023) have chosen the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya as part of their international racing calendar.