Organizers of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya have announced the dates for the Spanish spring stage race, which will take place March 21-27, 2022. Coastal towns and alpine villages have been chosen for this World Tour event, which will take place the week after Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico.

The Grande Pearl starts back on the Mediterranean coast of northeastern Spain, this time in the Costa Brava town of San Feliu de Gixols. Lescala made its first appearance as the starting point for the second stage and was noted as a new starting point. The other nine host cities will again appear in the Volta, including the traditional finish in Barcelona.

In the 2020 centennial edition, Ineos Grenadiers swept the overall podium, with Adam Yates taking the GC title ahead of teammates Richie Porte and Geraint Thomas (2nd and 3rd, respectively). The podium sweep to close out the stage race was the first in the 11-year history of the Ineos program.

Details of the seven stages, including distances and disciplines, will be announced at the official route launch scheduled for early 2022.

The 2021 race began with the first road stage, followed by an individual time trial on the second day. However, Mundo Deportivo reported that this year's race will not include a time trial.

"We hope that the 2022 route will once again be attractive and that fans can once again enjoy it along with the international cycling peloton. For our part, we have worked hard to offer a new and attractive route," Volta director Ruben Peris told Mundo Deportivo.

Volta's high mountains will be consecutive on stages 3 and 4, with finishes in La Molina and Boi Tauru. Stage 5 will be another Pyrenean stage between La Pobla de Segur and Vilanova y la Gertrud.

The final stage will take place between the Costa Daurada towns of Salou and Cambrils, and organizers have announced that it will "show the interior of the Prades and Montsant mountains. The finish will take place on Saturday in Barcelona.

After the Vuelta a España, the Volta Catalunya is Spain's second most important stage race and will celebrate its 101st edition next year, although it was one of the first World Tour events to be canceled in spring 2020 due to the COVID-19 coronavirus, It returned to the competition calendar in 2021.