The town of Roquetes is preparing to host the finish of the 5th stage of the Cycling Tour, marking the competition's return to the Ebre Lands after a 27-year hiatus. This elite sporting event follows an intense August for the municipality, which also gained attention during the eclipse on the 12th thanks to the Ebre Observatory.
This year's route, starting from Falset, will pass through several Ebre locations such as Móra la Nova, Amposta, Tortosa, and Benifallet, before reaching Roquetes between 5:20 PM and 5:40 PM. This stage, the only one in Catalonia, promises global imagery of the Ebre Delta landscapes, showcasing the area's biodiversity to an international audience of 190 countries.
The race includes challenging terrain such as the climbs of Coll de Som and Alt de Paüls, which will test the cyclists and could decide the stage, either through a mass sprint or an attack in the final kilometers. The presence of riders like Wout van Aert or Kaden Groves suggests an exciting finish.
The arrival in Roquetes, via Avinguda del Port de Caro and Avinguda de la Val de Safan, solidifies the municipality as a "reference cycling destination," adding this stage to its experience with the Clàssica Terres de l'Ebre and the 2023 Volta a Catalunya.
The competition will feature renowned cyclists such as Tadej Pogačar, Primož Roglič, Richard Carapaz, Mads Pedersen, Enric Mas, and Mikel Landa, among others, competing on a route that began in Monaco and will conclude in Granada.
Historically, the Ebre Lands have been featured in La Vuelta, with finishes in La Sénia (1999, 1993) and La Ràpita (1983), the latter marked by a famous incident involving sprinter Eric Vanderaerden. Tortosa, with stages dating back to the first edition (1935, 1955, 1957, 1961, 1962, 1978), is the municipality with the most tradition, recalling the rivalry between Federico Martín Bahamontes and Jesús Loroño in 1957.
