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Tour of Catalonia 2026 | Fresh test for Vingegaard, but can Evenepoel still be there?

Cycling
by Martijn Polder
Saturday, 21 March 2026 at 10:02
jonas-vingegaard
Not only is the Classics season now truly underway, but the climbers are beginning to come into their own as well. After Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico, it is now time for the Tour of Catalonia, and the organizers have put together an absolutely monstrous week for the likes of Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel. IDLProCycling.com looks ahead.
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The Tour of Catalonia can rightly be called one of the great old races on the WorldTour calendar. The race was first held in 1911, and for decades it has attracted the very biggest names in the sport. Eddy Merckx, Jacques Anquetil, Miguel Induráin and Alejandro Valverde are all on the roll of honour, underlining just how prestigious this stage race has always been.
Recent editions have also delivered elite fields and high-level racing. Last year, fans witnessed a gripping duel between Juan Ayuso and Primoz Roglic. After several days in which neither rider gave an inch, the experienced Slovenian ultimately came out on top by striking in the final stage in Barcelona. Roglic will not be back to defend that victory this time.
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What we do have is Jonas Vingegaard, who will now try to measure his Paris-Nice form against some of the biggest names in stage racing. The opposition is certainly there, with João Almeida and potentially Remco Evenepoel on the start list. Whether the Belgian can actually line up remains unclear, though, as he was still stranded in Tenerife on Friday due to severe weather on the island.

Latest winners Tour of Catalonia

2025 Primoz Roglic
2024 Tadej Pogacar
2023 Primoz Roglic
2022 Sergio Higuita
2021 Adam Yates
2020 not competed
2019 Miguel Ángel López
2018 Alejandro Valverde
2017 Alejandro Valverde
2016 Nairo Quintana
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Course, favorites stage wins and times Tour of Catalonia 2026

Stage 1, March 23, 2026: Sant Feliu de Guíxols - Sant Feliu de Guíxols (172.7 km)

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An unfamiliar opening section, but a very familiar finale. The hills around Sant Feliu de Guíxols have been used for some time in the traditional opening-day finish, and that run-in is never straightforward. The finish is especially notorious, with a stubborn uphill drag in the final kilometre that can immediately put the fast men under pressure.
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Rider x
Rider y
Rider z
Times
Start: 1 PM local time
Finish: approx. 5 PM local time

Stage 2, March 24, 2026: Figueres - Banyoles (167.4 km)

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Stage 2 already looks a little more demanding. The route to Banyoles is typical Catalonia: constantly rolling, rarely flat, and tiring throughout the day. The terrain becomes more selective in the finale, where the road rises repeatedly without ever becoming brutally steep. Still, after around 2,000 metres of climbing, another uphill finish could once again make the difference between the puncheurs and the pure sprinters.
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Rider x
Rider y
Rider z
Times
Start: 1:10 PM local time
Finish: approx. 5:10 PM local time

Stage 3, March 25, 2026: Mont-roig del Camp - Vila-Seca (159.4 km)

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If there is to be a bunch sprint this week, this looks like the most obvious opportunity. There are still 2,200 metres of climbing on the way to Vila-Seca, but most of that comes in the first 120 kilometres. The final 40 kilometres are flat, which should give the sprint teams a real chance to take control. That said, on a route like this, a strong breakaway may well sense an opportunity too.
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Rider x
Rider y
Rider z
Times
Start: 1:40 PM local tim
Finish: approx. 5:30 PM local time

Stage 4, March 26, 2026: Mataró - Vallter (173 km)

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Climbing, and plenty of it. The stage begins with a series of smaller rises, but the deeper the race moves inland, the higher the road goes. Everything builds toward the finish in Vallter, which sits at over 2,000 metres altitude. Officially, the final climb is listed at 11.4 kilometres at 7.6%, but in reality the road has already been trending uphill long before the foot of the climb. This is the first true GC test of the week.
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Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike)
Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe)
Tom Pidcock (Pinarello - Q36.5)
Times
Start: 12:45 PM local time
Finish: approx. 16:45 PM local time

Stage 5, March 27, 2026: La Seu d'Urgell - La Molina/Coll de Pal (155.3 km)

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Anyone thinking the climbing would ease off after Vallter is badly mistaken. Stage 5 is the second day of a brutally hard three-stage mountain block. The finish is again above 2,000 metres, this time on the Coll de Pal, but the final ascent comes only after four other significant climbs. In total, the riders face roughly 4,500 vertical metres in just 155 kilometres, which should make this one of the toughest days of the entire race.
Favorites
Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe)
Felix Gall (Decathlon CMA CGM)
Oscar Onley (INEOS Grenadiers)
Times
Start: 11:40 AM local time
Finish: approx. 3:20 PM local time

Stage 6, March 28, 2026: Berga - Queralt (158.2 km)

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The third and final part of that mountain trilogy follows immediately. There are still around 4,000 metres of climbing, although this time the climbs are a little less lofty than on the previous two days. After 158 kilometres, the riders finish on Queralt, a climb of 6 kilometres at 7%. Given the accumulated fatigue from the days before, this stage could easily explode from a long way out.
Favorites
Tom Pidcock (Pinarello - Q36.5)
João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates - XRG)
Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike)
Times
Start: 12:50 PM local time
Finish: approx. 4:35 PM local time

Stage 7, March 29, 2026: Barcelona - Barcelona (95.1 km)

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The traditional Barcelona finale remains in place, and that is very good news. The Alt del Castell de Montjuïc is once again the decisive feature, with the riders tackling the steep rise no fewer than seven times. The closing stage is only 95.1 kilometres long, but last year the overall classification was decided here, when Roglic turned the race around against Ayuso. That recent memory is enough to remind everyone that nothing is guaranteed until the final afternoon.
Favorites
Oscar Onley (INEOS Grenadiers)
Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe)
João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates - XRG)
Times
Start: 11:50 AM local time
Finish: approx. 2 PM local time

Favorites final classification Tour of Catalonia 2026

After his extraordinary display at Paris-Nice earlier this month, it makes perfect sense to label Jonas Vingegaard as the clear top favourite in Catalonia. The Dane from Visma | Lease a Bike won the Race to the Sun by the biggest margin seen since 1939, and his climbing level looks frighteningly high heading into this race. The rider best placed to challenge him may be João Almeida, who skipped Paris-Nice and therefore arrives fresher.
Then there is Remco Evenepoel, the big wildcard in the field. Two caveats apply. First, things did not come together for the Belgian at the UAE Tour, where he won the time trial but struggled badly in the mountains. Second, and even more importantly, his actual participation is still uncertain because of the weather chaos in Tenerife. Should he miss the race, Florian Lipowitz becomes an even more important card for Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, with Daniel Felipe Martínez another serious option within that squad.
Continue reading below the photo!
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Oscar Onley is another name to keep in mind, having already shown he can compete deep into Grand Tour GC battles, while Felix Gall gives Decathlon CMA CGM another genuine mountain specialist. Movistar can spread its ambitions across more than one rider with Cian Uijtdebroeks and Enric Mas, and the returning Mikel Landa helps form a strong climbing block elsewhere in the field.
Tom Pidcock will also get a real test of his GC credentials in Catalonia. The Briton has been riding strongly in 2026 and should enjoy this kind of explosive mountain terrain. Derek Gee-West is another rider worth watching as he continues his rise in stage racing.

Data powered by FirstCycling.com

Who are the favorites for the final classification of the 2026 Tour of Catalonia, according to IDLProCycling.com?

Top favorite: Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike)
Outsiders: Florian Lipowitz, Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Tom Pidcock (Pinarello - Q36.5 Pro Cycling)
Long shots: Oscar Onley (INEOS Grenadiers), Felix Gall, Matthew Riccitello (Decathlon CMA CGM), Derek Gee-West (Lidl-Trek), Enric Mas, Cian Uijtdebroeks (Movistar), Mikel Landa (Soudal Quick-Step)

TV broadcast Tour of Catalonia 2026

Tune in to Eurosport 1 for live coverage of the Tour of Catalonia. Broadcasts begin each day at either 03:10 or 03:20 PM, with two exceptions: on Friday coverage starts earlier at 02:20 PM, and on Sunday it begins at 12:20 PM. The race is also available to watch on HBO Max.

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