Barcelona's cycling begins where the city ends: the Serra de Collserola, the forested ridge separating Barcelona from the Vallès, rises directly behind the Tibidabo funicular and offers climbs, descents, and quiet roads within twenty minutes of the centre.
To the south, Montjuïc — the hill above the port — has closed out the Volta a Catalunya since 2013, its steep castle climb and repeated laps deciding the general classification most years; recent winners of the Barcelona stage include Tadej Pogačar, Remco Evenepoel, and Alejandro Valverde, who won it three times.
Further out, the city sits within reach of the Garraf massif to the south and the Montseny range to the north, both regulars on the Volta's route. For a metropolis its size, Barcelona keeps its cyclists remarkably close to real climbing — a rarity among European capitals.
