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83rd Volta a Catalunya - 2.HC
Spain, June 16-22, 2003
2002 Results Preview Stages and results Start list Past winners
Preview
By Chris Henry
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Rivaling the Tour de Suisse for attention in the final weeks before the Tour de France, the 83rd Volta a Catalunya (June 16-22) offers a mountainous parcours to test top riders before the second grand tour of the season. Usually the preparation race of choice for the Spanish teams, Catalunya enjoys plenty of popularity in its own right, and ranks behind only the Vuelta a España in popularity in Spain.
Last year's event was won by US Postal's Roberto Heras, who provided the team a big win on the heels of Lance Armstrong's 2002 Dauphiné victory in France. Both riders went on to dominant performances in the mountains of France, with Armstrong taking his fourth Tour de France victory. Heras will be back to defend his title for US Postal this year, building up for another Tour assault. Telekom's Erik Zabel will be fine tuning his sprint form as he prepares for another green jersey challenge in July.
The Volta a Catalunya begins in interesting fashion with a team time trial, and tests the riders with an individual race against the clock on the penultimate stage. The climbing starts straight away on stage 2, and the race's first summit finish arrives on stage 3 in the principality of Andorra. Zabel and his fellow sprinters may not have an opportunity to test their fast twitch muscles until stage, which stacks the climbing in the first half of the parcours and steadily descends to Manresa. The final stage concludes in Barcelona on Sunday, June 22.
Past winners
Year Winner AVS (km/h) 2002 Roberto Heras (Spa) 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
