Forecasts of excessive winds have performed havoc with the Volta a Catalunya‘s hardest mountain stage this yr, with race organisers pressured to droop the mid-stage ascent of the hors categorie Col de Pradell on Saturday.
Stage 6 might be drastically lowered in size as a consequence, from 159km to only 118km, however the ultimate class 1 summit end of Queralt will stay in place. The opposite two ascents, the Col de Battaola (Cat. 3) and Collada de San Isidro (Cat. 1), are additionally nonetheless a part of the dramatically-revised route.
The native authorities really useful that the Col de Pradell, which peaks out at 1,700 metres above sea stage and is greater than 500 metres greater than any of the opposite climbs, shouldn’t be ascended due to excessive winds anticipated within the space, forcing the organisers to revise the route.
“This sixth stage might be shortened in distance, and it’ll not be potential to climb the Coll del Pradell as a result of its summit is at an altitude of 1,700 meters, the place the hazards are extra extreme,” organisers said in a press launch, noting that activation can be taken below the VENTCAT emergency process plan.
The Pradell climb is 15 kilometres lengthy and averages 6.7%. There are gradients in some locations of 18% and with cemented segments near the summit, making the Pradell far and away the toughest climb of the 2025 Volta. It was launched for the primary time final yr on a close to–similar path to this editioin, received by Tadej Pogačar with a solo assault on the San Isidro.
The organisers additionally famous within the press launch that race infrastructure might be lowered on the summit of Queralt to try to guarantee they don’t get overly affected by the excessive winds. The stage can also be delayed by over an hour to 13:55 native time.
The sturdy winds at present affecting Catalunya had been already very noticeable all through the day in stage 5, serving to to spark some main echelons within the final hour of racing. As race chief Juan Ayuso (UAE Staff Emirates-XRG) put it, “there was no shock there have been echelons, the one query was when”.
It stays to be seen what impact it will have on the GC final result, the place Ayuso at present leads by one second over Primoz Roglič (Pink Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe).
That is removed from the primary time that climate has altered the route of the Volta a Catalunya, principally within the Pyrenees, the place a number of mountain passes have been cancelled in previous editions. This yr, nevertheless, the race got here via the Pyrenees on stage 3 with no meteorological setbacks, just for the most important stage of the race to be affected.
The race ends on Sunday with 88.2 kilometres, half of that on six hilly circuits in Barcelona.
