The reVolta makes the leap to testing in stages and premieres from June 7 to 9
BARCELONA, 21 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Volta Ciclista a Catalunya presented this Thursday the first edition of the Volta a Catalunya Femenina, a test that will premiere from June 7 to 9, 2024 as a new international stage test, with the best category within the UCI calendar and that takes over from the reVolta, a single-day test that lasted four editions.
“The Volta continues to take firm steps in its commitment to women's cycling, and with the support of the Generalitat of Catalonia through Esportcat, from June 7 to 9, 2024 it will organize the first edition of the Volta a Catalunya in its version women's event, a three-day stage event that takes over from the reVolta, after four editions held as a single-day event,” the organization announced.
With this new test, the competition goes from one day to three days and reaches the UCI 2.1 category, which allows the participation of up to seven UCI Women's World Tour teams – the best teams in the world – as well as UCI Women's Continental teams. Teams -of the second category-, and also national teams such as the Catalan Massi-Tactic.
The organization of the Catalan round ensures that several UCI Women's World Tour teams have already confirmed their willingness to participate in the new test, which is already published in the UCI calendar for the 2024 season on the dates of June 7, 8 and 9.
“The race will have three very varied stages with a presence in a good part of the Catalan territory, and one of them will have a high finish. Located on the calendar in an ideal place to attack races such as the Giro Donne or the Tour de France Femmes, the Volta a Catalunya can attract magnificent cyclists thanks to a diverse route with an important presence of mountains,” the entity assessed.
The advisor to the presidency of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Laura Vilagrà, assured that the rise in category of the Volta a Catalunya Femenina is “great news for Catalan cycling and for women's sport.” “With the financial support of the Generalitat of Catalonia we demonstrate with actions that this is the legislature of women's sports,” she added.
For his part, the president of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya AE, Rubèn Peris, assured that “one more step” is taken in the women's event of the Volta. “We are very excited to become a three-stage event. We have received a magnificent response, both from the Government and from populations interested in starting and finishing, as well as from sponsors. I also want to highlight that the race has aroused a lot of interest among the teams, since only with the publication in the 2024 calendar many have already wanted to contact us to participate,” he stated.
“Catalonia will be a reference in women's cycling as well. It will surely be quite a spectacle to be able to see a great female rider with some of the best cyclists competing in the Volta through our rich territory. We are still working on the route and participation of the teams, but surely that will not leave anyone indifferent. We will enjoy great routes and teams and runners from all over the world. It is a pleasure to see the event grow, first as a runner and then from the organization side,” said the sports manager of the race. and member of the entity's board of directors, Patrícia Ortega.
The women's event of the Volta already has a notable record while it has been held as a single-day race, with triumphs for renowned runners such as the British Claire Steels (Israel PT Roland, 2023), the German Clara Koppenburg (Cofidis, 2022 ), the Norwegian Katrine Aalerud (Movistar Team, 2021) or the American Lauren Stephens (Cylance ProCycling, 2018). In 2024, a new runner will debut the winners of the first edition of the Volta a Catalunya.