Coll de Pal will be the spectacular high finish of the 2nd edition of the Volta a Catalunya
December 18 th 2024 - 11:00 [GMT + 1]
The high-mountain stage has the support of Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat
The second stage of the women's race of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya will face the ascent of the Coll de Pal, a high mountain finish that will lead the best cyclists in the world to measure their strength in this mountain pass of Berguedà, one of the hardest in the Catalan geography. A high finish that has been made possible thanks to the support of Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC).
The women's race of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya is unveiling the route of the second edition of the race. The race will be held from 6 to 8 June and the high mountains will play an important role in it. After the announcement of Bagà as the starting point for one of the stages, the Coll de Pal pass will be the culmination of the second stage of the Volta.
Belonging to the municipality of Bagà, Coll de Pal marks a natural division between the regions of Berguedà and Cerdanya. It is a special category (HC) mountain pass with 20 kilometres, 1284 metres of positive height gain and an average gradient of 6.6%. In addition, it is at an altitude of over 2000 metres and ramps of up to 12% - 13%. With these characteristics, the perseverance of the runners will be decisive, since from kilometer 3 onwards there will be no kilometer with ramps of less than 5%.
The Coll has several different parts, from an opaque and wooded slope to open parts exposed to the air, which will leave us with splendid views of the area. Coll de Pal has all the ingredients for a unique day of cycling, and its toughness will make this stage decisive for the overall classification of the Volta 2025. Last June it was precisely the mountain stage that decided the final winner of the race. The solo breakaway of the Dutch rider Marianne Vos seven kilometres from the finish in La Molina gave her 51 seconds of advantage over her teammate, Riejanne Markus, who finished second on the podium of the overall classification of the Volta.
Coll de Pal has been a protagonist in the men's race on two occasions. Thus, the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya was present two consecutive years: 1978 and 1979. The Basque Francisco Galdós, one of the great riders of the 1970s, with two podiums in the Giro d'Italia and one in the Vuelta España, won the stage of the Volta between Ribes de Freser and the Coll de Pal, in 1978. The following year, the winner of the stage starting from La Pobla de Segur and finishing at the Coll de Pal was the cyclist from Sabadell, Ricardo Zuñiga. On 7 June, we will see who the first cyclist is to be crowned in the mountain stage of the Volta, on the ascent to the Berguedà pass.
For Carles Ruiz, president of FGC, ‘Ferrocarrils is committed to women's sport. We did it last year with the finish in La Molina and we do it in this new edition in the Coll de Pal, where athletes will have to give the best of themselves to crown the pass in a privileged natural environment, around the station of La Molina, which offers sporting opportunities throughout the year. ‘We are sure that sports lovers will enjoy this mountain stage, a spectacle in capital letters for runners and fans,’ he said.
For his part, Rubèn Peris, general director of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya, wanted to emphasise the demand of this mountain pass, highlighting the quality of the event that brings the best teams and cyclists of the moment to Catalonia; ‘The high finish at Coll de Pal will be one of the decisive moments of the Volta. We are talking about an important pass, one of the toughest in our territory. Special thanks to the support of Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat, as we will be able to enjoy a very attractive day on a sporting level in a unique natural environment’.
The race organizers are currently defining the routes that will make up the three stages of the women's race. As was the case in 2024, one of them will have this assured finish at altitude, which will allow us to see a great sporting spectacle as we were able to experience this year, with the ascent to the ski resort of La Molina.
