PREVIEW | Volta a Catalunya 2024 stage 6 - Can Tadej Pogacar do hattrick of mountain stages?

Stage 6 of the Volta a Catalunya is a high mountain stage of the kind the race rarely sees. The riders find several difficult climbs into the new summit finish at Queralt, where Tadej Pogacar can win the third summit finish out of three.

Stage 6 has a summit finish at Queralt, which comes in a day with six categorized climbs including a special category halfway through the day. A new challenge that should seal the overall classification in what is a short day of racing. However, despite having only 154 kilometers in distance, there are a whole 4000 meters of climbing.

Early in the day they are not too hard, they are slight ascents that are rather inconsistent, featuring false-flat roads and some slight ascents where groups can go up the road. However there won't be too much relaxing time. The descent off the second one leads directly into the brutal Coll de Pradell.

This climb is brutal. 14.7 kilometers at 6.9%, it's one of two halves. The first 7 kilometers are at a constant 5-6%, then there is a small descent even, and then the final 6 kilometers which average 10% average. In here, the grades go up to a crazy 18% and it's not a short ramp. This ascent is the hardest of the race and could blow the entire race apart, ending with 60 kilometers to go.

A long descent follows - with a small hilltop in the middle which leads into climb number four of the day - when it comes to the categorized ones. It's 4.9 kilometers at 8.8% which ends with 27 kilometers to go. Another very hard climb where attacks can happen, however it is possible that some riders will still wait for the final one.

After a set of rolling roads the riders return to Berga but head into the Santuario de Queralt. It is not the hardest climb of the day, but after so much fatigue it can still make serious differences. 6 kilometers at 7.3%, it will be a proper and scenic finale to a brutal day of racing.

The Weather

Warm afternoon and some wind from the south. It is rather meaningful but the climbs are very twisty and there isn't a particular direction that it will follow. The approach to the final ascent is in a headwind however and so it could demotivate early attacks.

The Favourites

Tadej Pogacar - It's his race and stage to lose honestly. Pogacar has comfortably won both mountain stages so far, he has shown to be the strongest in the race, and has a UAE that is fully behind him. If the team controls the stage they can surely take another stage win and with Pogacar they've got consistency and quite a lot of confidence on the chances of yet another victory.

Podium fight - Rather unfortunately, in my opinion, I think the most exciting aspect on the day will be the fight for the podium. Here, Mikel Landa has a very strong position after thriving in both Vallter 2000 and Port Ainé. He's built a 28-second gap over Aleksandr Vlasov who didn't look particularly sharp in the past mountain stage. This time around I think both will race conservatively and try to maintain their position - until possibly the final two kilometers if they have good legs.

Bahrain can be an interesting as Wout Poels and Antonio Tiberi were third and fourth in Port Ainé but they sit 8th and 11th in the GC. Both can move up significantly in a good day and ultimately they are the most likely to try from far away. Einer Rubio, Enric Mas and Sepp Kuss could also do so, they are riders who do not have much to lose in their current positions. Lenny Martínez and Chris Harper are fourth and fifth and should wait for the final climb; the likes of Egan Bernal, João Almeida and Cristián Rodríguez will also be there in the finale most likely.

A breakaway is unlikely to succeed, it is simply quite hard to see anyone reach the final climb with enough of a lead over the peloton to hold off Pogacar. UAE are usually very generous in their work, but other teams could also want to work hard to try and make differences in the GC - alongside possible early attacks.

Still we could see attacks from the breakaway and possible success from Guillaume Martin, Esteban Chaves, Sergio Higuita, Juan Pedro López, Michael Woods, Marc Soler and Simon Yates.

Prediction Volta a Catalunya 2024 stage 6:

*** Tadej Pogacar
** Mikel Landa, Sepp Kuss
* Simon Yates, Guillaume Martin, Aleksandr Vlasov, Lenny Martínez, Chris Harper, Antonio Tiberi, Wout Poels, Enric Mas

Pick: Tadej Pogacar