Women's Volta Ciclista a Catalunya 2024 History
2024 sees the first time that the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya Femenina will be a stage race. It began life in 2018 and subsequently post-covid in 2021, 2022 and 2023 as the reVolta one-day race. Plenty of climbing but an often small startlist, the hope is that a stage race will encourage more teams and stronger riders to the northeast corner of Spain. With the uncertainty that surrounded the Women’s Tour of Britain earlier this season, it has seen teams willing to travel to Catalunya rather than Britain.
Last year’s race saw Claire Steels of IPT Roland win, the Brit attacking and going clear with a well-timed attack. The previous season Clara Koppenburg had dominated proceedings by winning solo by just under 3 minutes. It was much closer in the 2021 edition though, with 4 riders contesting victory. Kartine Aalerud was the fastest and confirmed her threat in these smaller Spanish climbing races. Going way back to 2018 when the only American in the race took the win, Lauren Stephens out-sprinted Lorena Llamas Garcia of Movistar to the line that year.
Previous Winners
2023
Claire Steels
2022
Clara Koppenburg
2021
Katrine Aalerud
Volta Ciclista a Catalunya Femenina 2024 Stage Profiles
Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
TV Coverage
Friday 7th June – Sunday 9th June 2024
Live on ESport3
Stage 1: 15:30-17:00
Stage 2: 12:30-13:30
Stage 3: 12:15-13:30
All times in BST
Twitter: #VoltaCatalunya
Startlist: FirstCycling
Volta Ciclista a Catalunya Femenina 2024 Contenders
Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio is back after a spell of illness has disrupted what she wanted to achieve throughout May’s racing in Spain. Hopefully, back to full fitness, she leads a strong AG Insurance-Soudal side which will be looking to play a big role in the GC fight here. Mireia Benito was able to acquit herself well at the Vuelta Andalucia recently finishing 8th in GC to go with her 4th place at the GP de Eibar. She will probably revert back to a support role here but it’s a taster of what she is able to do. Sarah Gigante will be looking to race for the first time since the Vuelta Femenina where she ultimately finished 19th but peaked with a 5th place stage finish. Again she may either be a GC hope herself or be riding in support for Moolman-Pasio if she’s fully fit again. Ally Wollaston should take care of the sprints with the Kiwi finding her way back as well. She took part in RideLondon Classique 2 weekends ago, finishing in the teens on the stages but getting enough bonus seconds to finish 7th in GC there. She followed it up with 14th at Dwars door de Westhoek last weekend too.
Cecille Uttrup Ludwig is on the startlist for FDJ-Suez but despite some big hopes to show her form at the Alpes Gresivaudan Classic, the Dane was down in 13th place. Given that the top-10 was filled with riders you’d expect her to beat, it’s a sign that she’s not quite at 100% yet after her injury layoff. There are hints of her usual self but we’ll need to be patient for a little bit yet.
She might not be a GC threat but there are 2 stages which look possible for Marianne Vos to take the honours on. The Dutch star had a successful Vuelta Femenina with a pair of stage wins and the points jersey to her name. She’s the ideal rider in her 2024 form to take on stages which promise plenty of climbing but ultimately a nice run-in to the finish for the fast riders.
Vos’ biggest competition on those stages is likely to come from the Cuban Arlenis Sierra. A similar style of rider who finishes very fast after a tough day out, she currently feels like the natural rival here. Teammate Emma Norsgaard might be eyeing something up as well. The Dane would’ve been a lock previously for the final stage but is moving away from sprints to breaks, so is a nice wildcard for the opening stage instead. Olivia Baril will be the team’s GC hunter as the Canadian is more likely to do well on the tough second stage. She was 6th in GC at Itzulia Women before dropping back a bit at Eibar and Durango. After a short rest, she will be champing at the bit to contest this one.
Laboral Kutxa will look to go well and they’ve got the likes of Lourdes Oyarbide for a climbing threat. She was recently 17th at GP de Eibar and will get some support from Aileen Schweikart who was solid through the Vuelta Femenina. Always consistent without threatening a high GC placing. The team might get their best results from backing their Chilean rider Catalina Soto Campos in the sprints here. She will be high in confidence after finishing 3rd in the PanAmerican continental championships recently, helping her build into her second phase of the 2024 season.
Julie Bego had been on the startlist for the Women’s Tour this weekend but has ended up being set to race at the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya Femenina instead. Hopes will be high for the young French rider after her performance at the Alpes Gresivaudan Classic too. She took the best result of her short career so far with 3rd on a major summit finish. Hannah Ludwig is also going well at the moment with her solo win at the Navarra Elite Classics still in the memory banks and that was followed with 11th in GC at the Bretagne Ladies Tour on rolling terrain. She’s unlikely to pull up trees in the GC but the German can be consistent enough in support of Bego to also be somewhere in the top-20.
Top 3 Prediction
- Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio
- Olivia Baril
- Marianne Vos
