82nd Volta a Catalunya - 2.HC

Spain, June 17-23, 2002

2001 Results     Preview    Stages and results     Start list    Past winners

Preview

The second of three Hors Categorie stage races in June is the 82nd Volta a Catalunya in Spain, the most important Tour de France preparation race for the Spanish teams, and a worthy race in its own right, second only to the Vuelta España in Spain. With a very mountainous parcours and two time trials, on paper it's as tough as its French and Swiss counterparts (Dauphine Libéré and Tour de Suisse).

The race starts with a 30 kilometre flat team time trial from Sant Jaume d'Enveja to Deltebre. This is followed by a 182 km stage from La Sènia to Les Borges Blanques, containing the Cat. 1 Alto de Prades with its summit at 35 km to go. Stage 3 is a 10.8 km mountain time trial from Sant Climent De Taüll (1450 m) to Boí Taüll (2030 m), followed by a very tough fourth stage from Barruera - Andorra (Estació De Pal). This stage contains three Cat. 1 climbs including the finish to the Pal ski station.

The fun doesn't stop there for the climbers, with the fifth stage from Andorra (La Farga Moles) to Llivia (141.1 km), also containing a Cat. 2 and two Cat. 1 climbs. Stages 6 and 7 should provide the sprinters with some rewards, as the climbing is significantly less in these stages.

The field is a strong one, with the likes of Alessio's Pietro Caucchioli, Euskaltel's David Etxebarria and Roberto Laiseka, iBanesto's climbing pair of Francisco Mancebo and Leonardo Piepoli, Jazztel's Gonzalo Bayarri, Lampre's Raimondas Rumsas and Juan-Manuel Garate, Lotto-Adecco's Rik Verbrugghe and Robbie McEwen, Mapei's Oscar Freire and Andrea Tafi, ONCE's Mikel Zarrabeitia, Relax-Fuenlabrada's Antonio Colom, Team Coast's Fernando Escartin and Aitor Garmendia, and US Postal's Roberto Heras and George Hincapie.

Past winners

Year Winner                      AVS (km/h)
2001 Joseba Beloki (Spa)         37.843
2000 José Maria Jimenez (Spa)    39.957
1999 Manuel Beltran (Spa)        38.339
1998 Hernan Buenahora (Col)      37.231 
1997 Fernando Escartin (Spa)     37.153
1996 Alex Zulle (Swi)            39.402
1995 Laurent Jalabert (Fra)      38.807
1994 Claudio Chiapucci (Ita)     38.557
1993 Alvaro Mejia (Col)          37.808
1992 Miguel Indurain (Spa)       38.531
1991 Miguel Indurain (Spa)       41.062
1990 Laudelino Cubino (Spa)      40.051
1989 Marino Lejarreta (Spa)      39.394
1988 Miguel Indurain (Spa)       39.157
1987 Alvaro Pino (Spa)           40.056
1986 Sean Kelly (Ire)            38.184
1985 Robert Millar (Sco)         37.930
1984 Sean Kelly (Ire)            40.453
1983 Jose Recio (Spa)            38.040
1982 Alberto Fernandez (Spa)     37.167
1981 Faustino Ruperez (Spa)      36.257
1980 Marino Lejarreta (Spa)      35.355
1979 Vicente Belda (Spa)         34.939
1978 Francesco Moser (Ita)       36.144
1977 Freddy Maertens (Bel)       35.539
1976 Martínez Heredia (Spa)      36.401
1975 Fausto Bertoglio (Ita)      35.305
1974 Bernard Thevenet (Fra)      34.969
1973 Domingo Perurena (Spa)      35.573
1972 Felice Gimondi (Ita)        35.376
1971 Luis Ocaña (Spa)            36.089
1970 Franco Bitossi (Ita)        36.171
1969 Mariano Diaz (Spa)          38.148
1968 Eddy Merckx (Bel)           37.385
1967 Jacques Anquetil (Fra)      37.674
1966 Ariel den Hartog (Ned)      36.775
1965 Antonio G. Moral (Spa)      38.237
1964 Joseph Carrara (Fra)        35.373
1963 Joseph Novales (Spa)        36.623
1962 Antonio Karmany (Spa)       36.210
1961 Henry Duez (Fra)            37.082
1960 Miguel Poblet (Spa)         37.306
1959 Salvador Botella (Spa)      36.024
1958 R.Van Genechtien (Bel)      37.410
1957 Jesus Loroño (Spa)          38.046
1956 Aniceto Utset (Spa)         36.395
1955 José Gomez Moral (Spa)      36.506
1954 Walter Serena (Ita)         36.708
1953 Salvador Botella (Spa)      33.712
1952 Miguel Poblet (Spa)         33.979
1951 Primo Volpi (Ita)           33.810
1950 Antonio Gelabert (Spa)      33.527
1949 Emxile Rol (Fra)            33.618
1948 Emilio Rodriguez (Spa)      31.182
1947 Emilio Rodriguez (Spa)      30.129
1946 Julian Berrendero (Spa)     31.146
1945 Bernardo Ruiz (Spa)         30.624
1944 Miguel Casas (Spa)          30.221
1943 Julian Berrendero (Spa)     31.146
1942 Federico Ezquerra (Spa)     30.836
1941 A.Andrés Sancho (Spa)       33.803
1940 Cristóbal Didier (Spa)      30.480
1939 Mariano Cañardo (Spa)       30.480
1936 Mariano Cañardo (Spa)       29.955
1935 Mariano Cañardo (Spa)       29.945
1934 Bernardo Rogora (Ita)       28.953
1933 Alfred Bobet (Ita)          25.977
1932 Mariano Cañardo (Spa)       31.552
1931 Salvador Cardona (Spa)      25.488
1930 Mariano Cañardo (Spa)       26.930
1929 Mariano Cañardo (Spa)       30.403
1928 Mariano Cañardo (Spa)       27.830
1927 Víctor Fontan (Fra)         22.198
1926 Víctor Fontan (Fra)         25.023
1925 Miguel Mucio (Spa)          25.002
1924 Miguel Mucio (Spa)          26.377
1923 Maurice Ville (Fra)         24.135
1920 Joseph Pelletier (Fra)      20.902
1913 Juan Marti (Spa)            21.964
1912 Jose Magdalena (Spa)        23.056
1911 Sebastian Masdeu (Spa)      23.408

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