The 2014 Volta a Catalunya was the 94th running of the Volta a Catalunya cycling stage race. It started on 24 March in Calella and ended on 30 March in Barcelona, and consisted of seven stages. It was the fifth race of the 2014 UCI World Tour season.
The race was won for the second time by Spain's Joaquim Rodríguez of Team Katusha,[2] who took the lead after winning the race's third stage, and maintained the overall lead of the race until the end in Barcelona, to take his first stage race victory in over two years.[3] Rodríguez won the general classification by four seconds over runner-up and compatriot Alberto Contador (Tinkoff–Saxo),[4] while the BMC Racing Team's Tejay van Garderen completed the podium, three seconds behind Contador,[5] and seven down on Rodríguez; van Garderen was the winner of the race's queen stage to Vallter 2000-Setcases on the fourth day.[6]
In the race's other classifications, Stef Clement, of the Belkin Pro Cycling team,[5] was the winner of the red jersey for the mountains classification; he also won a stage wearing the jersey, winning on the penultimate stage.[7]Cannondale rider Michel Koch won both sprints classifications; along with the normal intermediate sprints,[5] Koch was the winner of the special sprints standings,[5] named in honour of Miguel Poblet, with the most points at the specific sprint places on the itinerary. For the second year in a row, Garmin–Sharp won the teams classification.[5]
As the Volta a Catalunya was a UCI World Tour event, all 18 UCI ProTeams were invited automatically and obligated to send a squad. Four other squads were given wildcard places, thus completing the 22-team peloton.
In the 2014 Volta a Catalunya, four different jerseys were awarded. For the general classification, calculated by adding each cyclist's finishing times on each stage, and allowing time bonuses in intermediate sprints and at the finish in mass-start stages, the leader received a white and green jersey. This classification was considered the most important of the 2014 Volta a Catalunya, and the winner of the classification was considered the winner of the race.
Additionally, there was a sprints classification, which awarded a white jersey. In the sprints classification, cyclists received points for finishing in the top 3 at intermediate sprint points during each stage; these intermediate sprints also offered bonus seconds towards the general classification. A special sprints classification was also contested, with points on offer at a specific point during the stage; the classification was named in honour of former cyclist Miguel Poblet, who died in 2013. There was also a mountains classification, the leadership of which was marked by a red jersey. In the mountains classification, points were won by reaching the top of a climb before other cyclists, with more points available for the higher-categorised climbs.
There was also a classification for teams, in which the times of the best three cyclists per team on each stage were added together; the leading team at the end of the race was the team with the lowest total time.
Luka Mezgec (SLO)
Joaquim Rodríguez (ESP)
Tejay van Garderen (USA)
Stef Clement (NED)
