PREVIEW | Volta a Catalunya 2025 stage 6 - Juan Ayuso and Primoz Roglic have 1 second apart into queen stage
Cycling
From the 24th to the 30th of March the World Tour peloton returns to Spain, more specifically Catalunya, for one of the most exciting and difficult stage-races in the calendar. The Volta a Catalunya is always a massive test for the climbers, but equally other riders will also get their opportunities. We preview stage 6.
*NOTE: Due to bad weather, the Coll de Pradell was removed from the stage.
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 3800 meters of climbing.
Stage 6: Berga - Queralt, 159.6 kilometers
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 28 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
Map Volta a Catalunya 2025 stage 6
Crosswind on the big climb and tailwind on most of the penultimate climb... There's a good chance that the medium-strength wind will encourage a few to make a move.
The Favourites
Juan Ayuso - The UAE man is back in the race lead but of course, it is not a safe one. I'd say in a high mountains day like this, he is better suited than Roglic who is not as much of a pure climber. UAE have got the team to defend, but again he doesn't need that much, what he needs is to gain time on the Slovenian and just like Montserrat he is likely to try again.
Primoz Roglic - Roglic in the meantime can stay conservative and wait as late as possible. Giulio Pellizzari showed a very high level and should be able to protect him quite well, but Roglic can afford to just wait for any sprint and try to take back the lead through bonus seconds. It will be hard for him to make the difference here, so it's definetely the best strategy for him to play.
Spanish attack - We're talking about Enric Mas and Mikel Landa here. Both sit third and fourth, tight in the fight for the podium but also very close to the overall win. They hence may not want to risk a move from far, as the differences can be made in the final two climbs... But both men are pure climbers, who are most likely to be able to make the difference on the big climb of the day. It will be interesting to see if they will want to test both Roglic and Ayuso, and perhaps form an alliance with someone.
Lenny Martínez, still in the equation for overall victory, will also be a very dangerous man in a day with climbs this steep. The Frenchman has been in fine form and will be a very important rider to consider. Lennert van Eetvelt, Matthew Riccitello and Felix Gall (the latter out of GC contention) have also climbed very well in Montserrat and can take advantage of early attacks and a tactical race. Gall specifically has good reasons to attack from far, he shouldn't be marked.
Laurens de Plus, Egan Bernal, Simon Yates, Sepp Kuss, Richard Carapaz, Ben O'Connor, Juan Pedro López, Georg Steinhauser and Harold Martín López will all be riders to consider as well, in a different level of circumstances.
Prediction Volta a Catalunya 2025 stage 6:
*** Juan Ayuso, Primoz Roglic, Mikel Landa
** Enric Mas, Lenny Martínez, Felix Gall
* Matthew Riccitello, Juan Pedro López, Laurens de Plus, Egan Bernal, Lennert van Eetvelt, Sepp Kuss, Simon Yates, Richard Carapaz, Ben O'Connor
** Enric Mas, Lenny Martínez, Felix Gall
* Matthew Riccitello, Juan Pedro López, Laurens de Plus, Egan Bernal, Lennert van Eetvelt, Sepp Kuss, Simon Yates, Richard Carapaz, Ben O'Connor
Pick: Juan Ayuso
How: A day that suits other pure climbers better, but I think the Spaniard will be in control and on the final climb can make the difference - besides matching others earlier.
Original: Rúben Silva
🚴♂️ Aquest és el 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭 de la Volta a Catalunya masculina 2025!
— Volta a Catalunya (@VoltaCatalunya) March 14, 2025
🗺️ ¡Aquí tenemos el 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐨 𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 de la #VoltaCatalunya 2025!
😍 The 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞 for #VoltaCatalunya104! pic.twitter.com/iwRRWNkADn
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
- He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
- Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
- That is a very lazy way of putting it but so far on this website it seems like everyone is happy to look at everything lazily, even things that annoy them intensely. All they want to do is state their feeling and position but ask most to analyse a problem or come up with solutions or improvements and you’re stunned by silence. Nobody even really knows how this all happens. It’s very simple and quick to just say the UCI did it but I bet you they didn’t, I bet you not more than 2 people were involved, more likely just 1. The UCI may be ultimately responsible but it is not their decision, this is about hierarchy, power and delegation. The fact that protest is possible also means it isn’t over and that MORE people could get involved for a thorough review which could throw up anything. It is highly likely it was a sole commissar who decided and has that power in a first round. Therein might lie the problem the UCI has to consider, is it acceptable to give so much authority to one single person when it is quite possible for them to have a natural bias or be too easily susceptible to imposed bias. Who is to say an individual in this position isn’t susceptible to collaboration with outside players with interests in the results, nations, families, teams, betting companies, etc. On the one hand we have sports where these problems have been worked on way more to reduce such problems, on the other hand we have sports with far stricter and more draconian rules not even concerning safety or obstruction that nobody really questions like false starts or stepping out of lane or zones in athletics. If cycling hastowork on itself, it would be good if protagonists (all kinds) would start doing a little more than just moaning over outcomes.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- Yes, so why not make comments less pointless?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- What a race! I didn't expect Vanthourenhout to collapse like that, and Wyseure did take the fight to Nys, but there was no doubt at the end. I also wonder what Aubin Sparfel would be capable of were he to race in the elites now. In the U23 ranks he is making good work of Giel Lejeune, who himself is among the better riders in the elites, and a top 10 contender in the big races (3rd at Kleebergcross, 8th at Berencross and 5th at Heerderstrand). In the French Cup, Sparfel is significantly better than Romain Debord (8th at Koppenbergcross and 10th at the Euros) and Rémi Lelandais (12th at Koppenbergcross and 19th at the Euros).
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - There really was nothing in it. Schreiber was so much faster, and Brand was fighting to stay in the wheel in the sprint. Schreiber did move a bit, but to say she closed the door doesn't make sense because Brand couldn't enter it anyway, abd she wasn't impeded.Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026
- He should have been allowed to go to Movistar. Right now both arent a good fit for each other and are just wasting each other's time and effortabstractengineer08-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment