Twelve months ago, a double act topped the bill at the Volta a Catalunya, as Primož Roglič and Remco Evenepoel jousted across the race’s seven days. This time out, there is but one marquee name, as Tadej Pogačar lines up for his first stage race of 2024.
The Slovenian had dominated attention in the build-up, and he is the clear favourite for overall victory in Barcelona next Sunday, but the narrative of the week ahead promises to be a multi-layered one. The Volta a Catalunya, a race older than the Vuelta a España itself, has always provided intrigue, and in the WorldTour era, it has established itself as one of the races of the year.
