Volta a Catalunya adds individual time trial

The 2020 Volta a Catalunya will feature a 21.1km individual time trial on stage 2 in Banyoles for its 100th edition. It will be the first medium length time trial at the race since 2007 and the first time trial of any distance since the event last included a prologue in 2010.

The race organisation confirmed the route on Monday morning, with full details of each individual stage to be announced on February 6. The 2020 Volta a Catalunya gets underway in Calella on March 23 and concludes in Barcelona on March 29.

The 100th edition of the Volta a Catalunya will feature two summit finishes, though for the first time since 2013, the ascent of La Molina is not on the route. On stage 3, the race finishes at Vallter 2000, which climbs for 11.4km at an average of 7.7%. Adam Yates beat Egan Bernal, Dan Martin, Nairo Quintana and eventual overall winner Miguel Angel Lopez in a five-up sprint at the finish there in 2019.

On stage 4, the Volta peloton will tackle a summit finish at Port Ainé, which averages 6.5% across its 18.5km. Port Ainé last featured in 2016, when lone escapee Thomas De Gendt claimed victory ahead of Quintana and Richie Porte.

Miguel Angel Lopez won the 2019 Volta a Catalunya ahead of Adam Yates and Egan Bernal. Lopez is set to return to defend his title in 2020, while Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) is also expected to line out as he builds towards the Tour of Flanders.

Earlier this month organisers announced the wildcard teams that will join the UCI WorldTeams in the race, with Alpecin-Fenix, Arkea-Samsic, Burgos-BH, Caja Rural, Circus-Wanty Gobert and Fundación Euskadi all earning invitations.

2020 Volta a Catalunya

• Stage 1: Calella - Calella
• Stage 2: Pla de l'Estany (Banyoles-Banyoles) ITT
• Stage 3: Canal Olimpic de Catalunya - Vallter 2000
• Stage 4: Ripoll - Portainé
• Stage 5: La Pobla de Segur - Manresa
• Stage 6: Tarragona - Mataró
• Stage 7: Barcelona - Barcelona