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Volta a Catalunya 2011 Live Dashboard
Race Info, Preview, Live Video, Results, Photos and Highlights

A fine performance on Wednesday's Queen Stage was all Alberto Contador needed to win the 100th Volta a Catalunya.
Big Photos from all 7 Stages — reuters/flockton

2011 Volta a Catalunya Teams
Team Rosters and Withdrawals
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Printable Startlist



News and Updates for Volta a Catalunya 2011

 March 26 update: Saturday and Sunday is Criterium-International from Corsica (France), three stages over two days. Race info, preview, startlist and live video details now posted.

Stage 7 results: Samuel Dumoulin wins his second stage; Alberto Contador wraps up the overall

1  DUMOULIN, Samuel (FRA) COFIDIS Le Credit    2:33:55 
2  URAN, Rigoberto (COL) SKY PROCYCLING 
3  DEHAES, Kenny (BEL) OMEGA PHARMA-LOTTO 
4  ROJAS, Jose J (ESP) MOVISTAR TEAM 
5  CARDOSO, Manuel (POR) TEAM RADIOSHACK 
6  GALDOS, Aitor (ESP) CAJA RURAL 
7  GOLAS, Michal (POL) VACANSOLEIL-DCM 
8  KADRI, Blel (FRA) AG2R LA MONDIALE 
9  ROVNY, Ivan (RUS) TEAM RADIOSHACK 
10 SEELDRAEYERS, Kevin (BEL) QUICKSTEP    

General classification after Stage 7
1  CONTADOR, Alberto (ESP) SAXO BANK SUNGARD 29:24:42
2  SCARPONI, Michele (ITA) LAMPRE-ISD            + 23
3  MARTIN, Daniel (IRL) TEAM GARMIN-CERVELO      + 35
4  HORNER, Chris (USA) TEAM RADIOSHACK          
5  URAN, Rigoberto (COL) SKY PROCYCLING          + 38
6  TONDO, Xavier (ESP) MOVISTAR TEAM
7  BASSO, Ivan (ITA) LIQUIGAS-CANNONDALE
8  EVANS, Cadel (AUS) BMC RACING TEAM            + 50
9  SEELDRAEYERS, Kevin (BEL) QUICKSTEP        + 01:12
10 MOLLEMA, Bauke (NED) RABOBANK
Contador secures overall victory — cyclingnews
3 Big Photos from Stage 7 — reuters
  Contador se alza con la Volta a Cataluña (00:45 Spanish) — rtve.es
March 26 update: This is race is pretty much over. Expect another sprint finish and a coronation stage for current race leader Alberto Contador in Barcelona. Levi Leipheimer has abandoned the race due to illness. See the race summary table (right) for the detailed stage profile and interactive map. — Steve

Stage 6 results: Close all week, Joaquín Rojas (Movistar) finally gets a win

Stage 6 results
1  José Joaquín Rojas (Movistar) 4:22:19
2  Manuel Cardoso (RadioShack)   
3  Samuel Dumoulin (Cofidis)   
4  Daniel Martin (Garmin-Cervélo)   
5  Diego Milán (Caja Rural)   
6  Daniele Pietropoli (Lampre-ISD)   
7  Rubén Pérez (Euskaltel-Euskadi)   
8  Kennu De Haes (Omega Pharma-Lotto)   
9  Remi Cusin (Cofidis)   
10 Michal Golas (Vacansoleil)     

General classification after Stage 6
1  Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank)
Rojas sprints to stage win — cyclingnews
José Joaquin Rojas finally gets his stage in Catalunya at sixth attempt — velonation
Volta a Catalunya: Rojas se desquita — eitb
3 Big Photos from Stage 6 — reuters
March 25 update: This race is playing out the way sompe people feared. Lots of climbing, but there has been lots of conservative racing without many climbs near the end of the stages. Cadel Evans post-stage 5 tweet: Long but nice stage here [at] Volta Catalunya. Happy to be in the sun!. Stage 6 is typical of this year's race. We'll have two cat 3s and a cat 1 climb, but the climbing ends 33 km from the finish so the inevitable break will likely be gobbled up. Maybe, RadioShack and Lampre will put some pressure on Saxo Bank because stage 7 looks like a coronation for the race leader after stage 6. See the race summary table (right) for the detailed stage profile and interactive map. — Steve

Last 3 Km Map and Profile


Stage 5 results
1  Samuel Dumoulin (Cofidis)           4:49:31
2  Joaquín Rojas (Movistar)   
3  Rubén Pérez (Euskaltel-Euskadi)   
4  Aitor Galdos (Caja Rural)   
5  Michal Golas (Vacansoleil)   
6  Diego Milán (Caja Rural)   
7  Nicolas Roche (AG2R)   
8  Manuel Cardoso (RadioShack)   
9  Kenny De Haes (Omega Pharma-Lotto)   
10 Frantisek Rabon (HTC-Highroad)  

General classification after Stage 5
1  Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank) 
2  Levi Leipheimer (RadioShack)    + 0:23
3  Michele Scarponi (Lampre-ISD)
4  Daniel Martin (Garmin-Cervélo)  + 0:35
5  Chris Horner (RadioShack)
More Results — biciciclismo
Dumoulin delivers in Tarragona — cyclingnews
 Volta a Catalunya: Dumoulin gana al esprint y Contador sigue líder — eitb
Dumoulin continues French renaissance with Catalunya win — cyclingweekly.co.uk
6 Big Photos from Stage 5 (more photos added) — reuters
March 25 update: Stage 5 is a hilly route along the coastal region featuring two cat 2 climbs and another climb near the end that is inexplicably unclassified, but is similar to the first two. This race has been a little docile thus far other than stage 1, but there is a good opportunity for some action today. Unfortunately, the last climb crests 40 km from the finish. See the race summary table (right) for the detailed stage profile and interactive map. — Steve

Last 3 Km Map and Profile


Stage 4 results: Manuel Cardoso (RadioShack) takes the sprint in El Vendrell 

Stage 4 results
1  Manuel Cardoso (RadioShack)      4:33:02
2  Giacomo Nizzolo (Leopard-Trek)   
3  Joaquín Rojas (Movistar)   
4  Aitor Galdos (Caja Rural)  
5  Frantisek Rabon (HTC-Highroad)   
6  Will Clarke (Leopard-Trek)   
7  Samuel Dumoulin (Cofidis)   
8  Michel Kreder (Garmin-Cervélo)   
9  Michal Golas (Vacansoleil)   
10 Daniel Martin (Garmin-Cervélo) 

General classification after Stage 4
1  Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank) 
2  Levi Leipheimer (RadioShack)    + 0:23
3  Michele Scarponi (Lampre-ISD)
4  Daniel Martin (Garmin-Cervélo)  + 0:35
5  Chris Horner (RadioShack)
Cardoso claims sprint victory — cyclingnews
Scandal-hungry Spanish press corps swoops in for Contador reaction — velonews
Alberto Contador appeal needed for clarity — espn.go
 Volta a Catalunya: Cardoso gana la etapa y Contador continúa líder — eitb
8 Big Photos from Stage 4 and Contador press conference (more photos added) — reuters
  La UCI justifica su recurso al caso Contador (00:58 Spanish/English) — rtve.es
March 23 update: After a quick visit to the Pyrenees, we are heading back to the Mediterranean. From the start in La Seu d’Urgell, it's a downhill run until the only categorized climb of the day in the second of the stage. Expect a break to get away on the cat 3 climb before the gradual 800m descent over the final 60 km. Tune in to see whether the break succeeds in El Vendrell. — Steve

Last 3 Km Map and Profile


Stage 3 results: Turns out the finish was difficult enough; Alberto Contador climbs to the top of the GC


7 Big Photos from Stage 3 — reuters/flockton
Stage 3 results
1  CONTADOR, Alberto (ESP) SAXO BANK SUNGARD     4:45:31 
2  SCARPONI, Michele (ITA) LAMPRE-ISD             + 0:23 
3  LEIPHEIMER, Levi (USA) TEAM RADIOSHACK
4  MARTIN, Daniel (IRL) TEAM GARMIN-CERVELO       + 0:35 
5  HORNER, Chris (USA) TEAM RADIOSHACK  
6  CANO, Alex COL (COL) ES PASION-CAFE  
7  BASSO, Ivan (ITA) LIQUIGAS-CANNONDALE          + 0:38 
8  URAN, Rigoberto (COL) SKY PROCYCLING
9  TONDO, Xavier (ESP) MOVISTAR TEAM 
10 EVANS, Cadel (AUS) BMC RACING TEAM             + 0:50 

General classification after Stage 3
1  CONTADOR, Alberto (ESP) SAXO BANK SUNGARD    13:05:55
2  LEIPHEIMER, Levi (USA) TEAM RADIOSHACK         + 0:23
3  SCARPONI, Michele (ITA) LAMPRE-ISD 
4  MARTIN, Daniel (IRL) TEAM GARMIN-CERVELO       + 0:35
5  HORNER, Chris (USA) TEAM RADIOSHACK 
6  URAN, Rigoberto (COL) SKY PROCYCLING           + 0:38
7  BASSO, Ivan (ITA) LIQUIGAS-CANNONDALE 
8  TONDO, Xavier (ESP) MOVISTAR TEAM 
9  EVANS, Cadel (AUS) BMC RACING TEAM             + 0:50
10 MOLLEMA, Bauke (NED) RABOBANK CYCLING         + 01:12
Full Results — biciciclismo
Alberto Contador surges into Catalunya lead — velonews
Contador climbs to queen stage victory — cyclingnews
 Volta a Catalunya: Contador gana la etapa reina y es el nuevo líder — eitb
7 Big Photos from Stage 3 — reuters/flockton
Basso praises Contador's form in Volta a Catalunya — cyclingnews
March 22 update: With three cat 1 climbs and a HC mountaintop finish in Andorra, Stage 3 is definitely the Queen Stage of this year's race. However, according Alberto Contador, the climbs aren't hard enough to break up the race. Well, with everyone packed 28s behind the race leader Gatis Smukulis and without any time bonuses or time-trial stages, we really don't need much to reshuffle the gc from here on in. At last year's Vuelta a Espana, 41s separated the top 12 riders on the stage 11 finish in Vallnord which had a much easier run up to the finishing climb. Igor Anton won the stage and he's also racing here this week. This stage is plenty hard enough if the riders want it to be. See the race summary table (right) for the detailed stage profile and interactive map. — Steve
Contador says Catalunya summit finish isn’t hard enough — velonews
Big Photos from Stage 11 of last year's Vuelta a España (Vallnord, Andorra finish) — sirotti/reuters

Last 3 Km Map and Profile


Stage 2 results: Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre-ISD) wins a photo-finish for his first win of the year

Stage 2 results
1  Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre-ISD)    4:11:08
2  Joaquín Rojas (Movistar)   
3  Manuel Cardoso (RadioShack)   
4  Samuel Dumoulin (Cofidis)   
5  Aitor Galdos (Caja Rural)   
6  Giacomo Nizzolo (Leopard)   
7  Michel Kreder (Garmin-Cervélo)   
8  Thomas Peterson (Garmin-Cervélo)   
9  Valentin Iglinsky (Astana)   
10 Carlos Barredo (Rabobank)   
11 Jan Bakelants (Omega Pharma-Lotto)   
12 Kevin Seeldraeyers (Quick Step)   
13 Dario Cataldo (Quick Step)   
14 Frederique Robert (Quick Step)   
15 Eduard Vorganov (Katusha)   

General classification after Stage 2
1  Gatis Smukulis (HTC-Highroad)      8:19:56
2  Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre-ISD)    + 0:28
3  Joaquín Rojas (Movistar)   
4  Jan Bakelants (Omega Pharma-Lotto)   
5  Thomas Peterson (Garmin-Cervélo)
Petacchi sprints to stage win in Catalunya (full results) — cyclingnews
Petacchi kicks to win at Catalunya; Andorra decider tomorrow — velonews
Petacchi gana tras revisar la foto finish — eitb
4 Big Photos from finish of Stage 2 — reuters
More stage 2 photos — sports.yahoo
March 21 update: A rolling stage with circuits in Banyoles. There are no sharp bends in the last km and don't be deceived by the finish profile below, the last km is only a 1% grade. Looks like Lampre's Alessandro Petacchi could get his first win of the year. See the race summary table (right) for the detailed stage profile and interactive map. — Steve

Last Km Profile


Stage 1 results: Lone break survivor Gatis Smukulis of HTC-Highroad hangs on for the win

Stage 1 results
1  Gatis Smukulis (HTC-Highroad)      4:08:48 (40.3 kmh)
2  Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre-ISD)    + 0:28
3  Joaquín Rojas (Movistar)   
4  Rigoberto Urán (Sky)   
5  Jan Bakelants (Omega Pharma-Lotto)   
6  Maxime Bouet (AG2R)   
7  Paolo Tiralongo (Astana)   
8  Cadel Evans (BMC)   
9  Bauke Mollema (Rabobank)   
10 Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank)
Smukulis surprises at Catalunya (Full Results) — cyclingnews
HTC’s Gatis Smukulis wins stage 1 at Catalunya — velonews
Smukulis ganó la primera etapa de Vuelta a Cataluña, Contador décimo — afp
4 Big Photos from Stage 1 — reuters
March 20 update: As Cadel Evans says, this is a Volta a Catalunya for the pure climbers with seven up-and-down days and no time-trialing. The organizers built this year's edition for last year's winner and Catalan native, Joaquim Rodríguez; however, much to their dismay, he has had to bow out with an injury. And guess who's taking his place wearing bib #1: Danilo di Luca.

Stage 1 doesn't waste any time getting down to business, with the first categorized climb of the race being a cat 1 cresting in the first 50 km. There is also a shorter but steeper cat 1 in the final 40 km followed by uncategorized hill before descending to the flat finish in Lloret de Mar. It's a meandering 167 km course starting and finishing in the same place. Look for a successful break and bunch sprint finish. See the race summary table (right) for the detailed stage profile and interactive map. — Steve

Last Km Map and Profile



2011 Volta a Catalunya Race Previews

March 21 update:
Centennial Volta a Catalunya one for the climbers — cyclingnews
Contador chasing second stage race victory of 2011 in Volta a Catalunya — velonation
Contador continues Giro preparation at Volta a Catalunya — cyclingnews
March 20 update:
Alberto Contador: “En Catalunya habrá rivales de Tour” — biciciclismo
Evans says Volta a Catalunya is for pure climbers — cyclingnews
Cyst prevents Joaquim Rodriguez from defending Volta a Catalunya title — velonation
Kanstantsin Sivtsov leading HTC-Highroad in Volta a Catalunya — velonation
Official startlist with bib numbers — steephill.tv
Contador ready for Tour of Catalonia challenges — sbs.au
Different objectives for Scarponi and Sastre at Volta a Catalunya — velonation
In form Gerdemann aiming for good ride in Volta ao Catalunya — velonation

March 15 update:
Stage profiles with categorized climb details and interactive maps have been added to the race summary table (right). Also the provisional startlist with bib numbers is now posted — Steve
March 14 update:
Chris Horner to make season debut at Volta a Catalunya — velonews
Taylor Phinney targets Volta a Catalunya for return to racing — velonews
Phinney to return in Catalunya, still hopeful for Roubaix and Flanders — velonation

March 10 update:
2011 route details were released today — voltacatalunya.cat
Race Bible — voltacatalunya.cat

February 28 update:
Basso looks ahead to Tirreno and Contador duel — velonation

February 24 update: Thanks to Colin Flockton, we have a list of host towns and a complete list of teams for the 2011 Volta a Catalunya which takes place in less than one month. See the race summary table (right) for the dates, stage host towns and distances and scroll down for the teams. Last year's winner, Catalan native, Joaquim Rodríguez (Katusha)photo above, will be back to defend his title and Alberto Contador will be racing this year. More to come once the official announcement is made. — Steve
Big Photos from Stage 11 of last year's Vuelta a España (Vallnord, Andorra finish) — sirotti/reuters

2011 Route Map

En Directo; Live Text Updates, Video Highlights and TV Coverage

Owly Images March 20 update: Like last year, it looks there will be no video. Stay tuned for news on this year's live (text) and delayed (video) coverage options. Thanks to Axel W. for pointing out that Eurosport 2 will have daily 1/2 hr highlights. — Steve
media source tv or internet comments/restrictions
eurosport    daily recap (english)
   live audio
  tv schedule (Europe)		 Eurosport 2 will have daily 1/2 hr highlights. Times are CET: Stage 1: Mon 21 @ 22:00-22:30 and Tue 22 @ 10:57-11:26 CET. Stage 2: Tues 22 @ 22:46-23:00 and Wed 23 @ 02:00-02:30 and 11:00-11:30. Stage 3: Wed 23 @ 22:00-22:30 and Thu 24 @ 11:00-11:30. Stage 4: Thu 24 @ 22:00-22:30 and Fri 25 @ 09:00-09:30. Stage 5: Fri 25 @ 22:00-22:30 and Sat 26 @ 09:30-10:00. Stage 6: Sun 27 @ 00:45-01:15 and Sun 27 @ 09:30-10:00. Stage 7: Sun 27 @ 23:45-00:15 and Mon 28 @ 13:00-13:30
   daily recap (catalan)
   daily recap (catalan)
  tv schedule		 Daily video highlights (30 min) on channel 33 of Televiso de Catalunya at 20:30 CET ()
   daily recap (spanish)
  tv schedule		 Spanish; restricted to Spain unless other options appear; Daily video highlights (30 min)
live text updates ES
live text updates EN
 The Spanish website Biciciclismo will have the latest race updates
 steephill text updates
 #voltacatalunya		 short text updates from any and everyone
check back at race time for more and updated links; email send a comment or a new live link

Also known as Tour of Catalonia in English, Tour de Catalogne in French, Ronde van Catalonië in Dutch.

2010 Volta a Catalunya Archived Coverage