PREVIEW | Volta a Catalunya 2024 stage 7 - Montjuic circuit to decide overall classification; Tadej Pogacar main favourite on a day where breakaway usually wins
Cycling
Stage 7 of the Volta a Catalunya features the traditional finale in Barcelona. Tadej Pogacar has the race sealed and won, but he can still take a fourth win in the very tough circuit around the Alto de Montjuic.
The final day, the traditional circuit in Barcelona. Regularly, a day for a breakaway, however many scenarios can decide such a day. There are only 145 kilometers to be ridden, as the riders leave Barcelona and face some rolling roads where the breakaway will be established.
Stage 7: Barcelona - Barcelona, 145.3 kilometers
The race is to be decided in the final circuit though. Six laps over the Alto de Montjuic, it’s a tough circuit, which usually benefits early attackers as there is almost no flat within it’s 8 kilometers. The descent off the Montjuic is very fast and allows riders to take a rest after every ascent.
Ascent which is 2.4 kilometers at 4.7%, however the gradient is very misleading as it includes a flat section. The true hilltop is quite explosive, it has 900 meters at 10% which is enough to create damage in the peloton, and also splits that may prove crucial for the overall classification. In the final lap, it will come only 5 kilometers away from the summit, all of them downhill except for a small uphill pitch next to the city’s Olympic stadium, 2 kilometers away from the finish.
The Weather
Map Volta a Catalunya 2024 stage 7
Some wind from the south but ultimately it will not really have an effect on the day, as the riders often change direction during the day and then in the final circuit it will not be meaningful.
Read also
Breakaway bingo or GC day?
Tadej Pogacar - Honestly it depends on what UAE want. If they control the day, keep the gap to around a minute into the final circuit, they can certainly keep the race under control until Pogacar attacks. He can drop the competition again and win stage number 4, but he really doesn't have to. However he and UAE have shown to have no real tactic today and just win on the basis of being the strongest; nothing truly prevents them from doing the same again.
Don't expect anyone else to match him, don't get your hopes up. In this terrain the likes of Mikel Landa, Aleksandr Vlasov and Egan Bernal who have shown some good results so far will be even less likely to be able to follow him. Landa is safe on the podium and Bernal would be thrilled to end there; so they defend. Vlasov, Enric Mas, Chris Harper and Lenny Martínez behind however are in an extremely tight battle for fourth place and certainly action will come from there. Antonio Tiberi and Wout Poels can also be in the mix for a strong result if the break does not capture glory on the day.
Traditionally this race ends with a day for the breakaway. The final circuit's descents are very technical, there are no flat roads and the climbs are tough so in-form riders can do damage early on and then hold gaps as it's hard to organize an efficient chase. That could happen here, expect riders to attack from early on in the circuit and try to be ahead of the competition. However if they will or not still fight for the stage win is a different question and largely depends on the actions of UAE.
Attila Vallter, Rémy Rochas, Axel Laurance, Sergio Higuita, Hugh Carthy, Guillaume Martin, Nicolas Prodhomme, Harold Tejada and Andreas Leknessund are all cards to play for in a scenario like this. Adding to that, I would say the entire remaining team of Israel - Premier Tech can also play the game here, specially Stephen Williams who should also be able to match the GC riders on these climbs; but also Michael Woods, Nick Schultz, George Bennett and Marco Frigo.
Prediction Volta a Catalunya 2024 stage 7:
*** Tadej Pogacar, Stephen Williams
** Guillaume Martin, Harold Tejada, Andreas Leknessund
* Mikel Landa, Egan Bernal, Antonio Tiberi, Attila Vallter, Rémy Rochas, Sergio Higuita, Hugh Carthy, Nicolas Prodhomme, Michael Woods
** Guillaume Martin, Harold Tejada, Andreas Leknessund
* Mikel Landa, Egan Bernal, Antonio Tiberi, Attila Vallter, Rémy Rochas, Sergio Higuita, Hugh Carthy, Nicolas Prodhomme, Michael Woods
Pick: Tadej Pogacar
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- McNulty winning was beneficial in ensuring the rainbow jersey would not remain winless
Front24209-11-2026 - Eccelente! That's 7 riders in total in Red Bull who come from the devo team, 8 if you include Lipo
Rafionain-Glas09-11-2026 - again, nothing is going to be resolved. it is a discussion board. I simply said I didn't see how MS impeded LBs sprint. the UCI doesn't care about my thoughts, and I am really not that emotionally invested in it.mij09-11-2026
- provoke change, lol. this is a discussion board. nothing is going to change by what I say here. just commenting that it didn't look like MS impeded Brand. beyond that not trying to go too deep.mij09-11-2026
- as excellent as maga rednecks chloe dygert (and quinn simmons)?Ketterechts09-11-2026
- so what i understand is: i left a comment calling out the endless author CVs for being an unnecessary flex of expertise, and you responded by lecturing me (and others) on discrimination and value systems. hats off to you. you definitely lost me!Ketterechts09-11-2026
- I just love the flood of Americans into the top ranks of world cycling. In addition to being studs on the bike, they all seem to be excellent emissaries for our country.Occam09-11-2026
- ANATOMY OF A G.O.A.T. EDDY MERCKX about TADEJ POGAČAR: Merckx: “He has revived a style of cycling that we had almost forgotten. He is now better than me.” Key statements by Merckx about Pogačar in 2026: - Acknowledging his superiority: This time, Merckx openly admitted, without any subsequent backtracking or reservations, that Pogačar had surpassed him and was now above him. This contrasts with 2024, when he quickly softened his remarks about Pogačar being faster. - The possibility of a historic triple (Giro, Tour and Vuelta): During the July Tour de France (where Pogi claimed his fifth title), Merckx stated that Pogi was the only cyclist in history capable of winning all three Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta a España) in a single season, provided the conditions were right and he had sufficient team support. - Lack of serious competition: Merckx emphasised that Pogačar has no real rivals in the mountains since 2024, thanks to his extraordinary climbing ability and the fact that he continues to improve despite still being under 28 (he turned 28 in autumn 2026). - Praise for his racing style: Merckx highlighted how Pogačar is bringing back the aggressive, uncompromising spirit of cycling's golden era, when races were not merely about calculated stages and tactical conservatism, but about attacking from long distances. PS: This is not "boring" ... this is called making real history, not only statistical history. Capish?PogiSloFans09-11-2026
- It’s off-season mate, I’m bored and fed up with the mediocrity of people unwilling to provoke change when they admit things aren’t right. What have you done lately to make anyone realise you won’t put up with things? What conversation, are you dictating to me which part of the incident I have to be interested in or telling me other parts are taboo? That’s what I guess the UCI would really like, let them moan, let it blow over for them pass on to the next thing, let’s keep the status quo, let’s try our best not reviewing or revealing anything about decision-making just like every time before, they’re used to it by now so we can take the risk they’ll never give us grief.Jumpyjohn09-11-2026
- As far as CUTD headlines go this is far from the worst. It helps if you look at it twice and realise it’s a list of descriptions from distinct events. You can’t deny the reality of being a rival if you consider the picture immediately below, frontrunner is unfortunate but I’m guessing this time it’s more a linguistic failure than a clickbaiting opportunity. Just a reminder that this is not an anglo website, for those who find it too tedious to interpret text to get the gist of things which are rarely of great importance (as opposed to eg purposely biaised DOJ extradition translations in order to achieve hidden agendas), there are plenty of anglo cycling websites google can suggest.Jumpyjohn09-11-2026
Loading
🚴♂️Aquest és el recorregut complet de la Volta a Catalunya masculina 2024! 😊 🗺️ ¡Este es el recorrido oficial de la #VoltaCatalunya 2024! 😍 This is the route for #VoltaCatalunya103!
Write a comment