Tadej Pogacar will be the big name of the Volta a Catalunya 2024. After the great duel nine months ago between Roglic and Evenepoel, the Slovenian from the UAE will be the attraction at the start on March 18 in Sant Feliu de Guíxols. The considered best cyclist of the moment, 25 years old, will debut in the Catalan event.
The Volta includes the best grand tour cyclists such as Anquetil (1967), Merck (1968) or Miguel Indurain (winner of three editions). Pogacar will try to register his name and win the franjiverde jersey on March 28 in Montjuïc. There is plenty of terrain as three high-altitude finishes have already been announced in Vallter 2,000, Port Ainé and the Queralt Sanctuary.
Pogacar has decided to include the centenary race in a very new calendar, according to Catalunya Ràdio. He will arrive in Catalonia, in principle, after racing Milan-Sanremo the previous Saturday. The Slovenian champion will use the Volta as preparation in addition to the Giro d’Italia, where he will also participate for the first time at the age of 25.
The pink race starts on May 4 in Turin and ends on May 26. Then it will be one month and three days until the start of the Tour, in Florence. Pogacar, who has won it twice, has been defeated in the last two editions of the French round by Jonas Vingegaard and is looking for a change of strategy in his approach.
In his five seasons in the elite, the UAE cyclist has always raced only one major event but in 2024 he will attempt the Giro-Tour double. His presence in the Italian round increases the chances of his UAE teammate Juan Ayuso making his debut in the Tour.
