Volta a Catalunya 2026 stage 2 preview, profiles, favourites & predictions - Will there be a British sprint win on the seecond day?

The 2026 Volta a Catalunya takes place from the 23rd to the 29th of March. The Catalan race has been widely regarded as the most important mountain test throughout the spring and is one of the most difficult races outside of the Grand Tours; which often sees many of the best climbers in the world go head-to-head in the Pyrenees. We preview stage 2, which is expected to start and finish at 13:10 and 17:00CET.

The race was first held in 1911, won by Sebastián Masdeu at the time. The race stopped during World War 1 but not during World War 2, remaining one of the top races in the calendar throughout those years. It is not only an event that holds great importance currently, as in the past none other than Jacques Anquetil and Eddy Merckx won it on consecutive occasions. The race's winner list is no joke, featuring the likes of Felice Gimondi, Bernard Thévenet, Freddy Maertens, Francesco Moser, Sean Kelly, Robert Millar, Miguel Induráin and Fernando Escartin still in the 20th century.

This century the race has become part of the then-created World Tour and has been won by Spain's golden generation with Alberto Contador (later removed), Alejandro Valverde and Joaquím Rodríguez all in the winner list; Nairo Quintana, Richie Porte and most recently two Slovenians have won the race. In 2024 Tadej Pogacar took the title and in 2025 Primoz Roglic did it for the second time in his career.

The second day of racing sees the riders start from Figueres and finish in Banyoles, with a few short and sharp climbs early on where a strong breakaway can be formed. However, out of all the stages in this race, this one is the most likely to end in a bunch sprint.

By no means is it a flat day, it is rather hilly, but perhaps it has the easiest finale of all. It features 1800 meters of climbing and a few uncategorized climbs towards the end, which aren't easy, but aren't too difficult. The finale in Banyoles, albeit slightly technical, is flat and should see a bunch sprint come to light.

This is the one stage of the race that can be properly termed one for the sprinters, and there is no shot that the main teams will let the opportunity escape. By those I mean the teams of the pure sprinters that are present: Soudal - Quick-Step of Alberto Dainese; And Pinarello - Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team of Sam Bennett, who has recently returned from an health issue but has looked on quite solid form.

However we must say that this is a very modest sprinter field - even if better than several other World Tour races. But we have of course race leader Dorian Godon who won stage 1 with a brilliant uphill display, here he does not have the same uphill finale but even in a pure sprint he can handle himself for sure.

NSN Cycling Team have Ethan Vernon here and they are a team that is fully focused on the sprints this week, with Jake Stewart and Brady Gilmore both present to back him up. I expect the Swiss team to have the best leadout and quite possibly deliver the stage win for the Briton.

We have some young guns such as Noah Hobbs and Mathieu Kockelmann present, leading in EF Education-EasyPost and Lotto - Intermarché respectively; Matevz Govekar as Bahrain - Victorious' sprint option and also Henri Uhlig as the man who is expected to lead Alpecin-Premier Tech on this flat finale.

*** Ethan Vernon, Alberto Dainese
** Dorian Godon, Mathieu Kockelmann
* Sam Bennett, Noah Hobbs, Matevz Govekar, Henri Uhlig

Pick: Ethan Vernon

How: Regular bunch sprint.