Our tour of Catalonia begins in the small but pretty village of Banyoles, just north-west of the city of Girona. Famous for its lake that sits encircled by the pre-Pryenees, the reservoir is the biggest in the whole region. A gentle beginning without too much difficulty reaches its first major climb (4.6km at 5.1%) on the approach to the Cap de Creus Natural Park. Once at the coast, we’ll have lunch in beautiful Faro de Cap de Creus where we’ll be privy to witnessing the spectacular Costa Brava and its pristine beaches and tucked-away caves. Passing through Portlligat, once the home of renowned surrealist Catalan artist Salvador Dalí, we’ll then arrive into our night’s stop in the fishing village of Cadaqués.

A day of climbing in magnificent surroundings awaits us today, with the first climb (4.6km at 4.9%) coming almost immediately after leaving Cadaqués. Our legs kicked into action, we’ll descend into the village of Rodes that will precede one of the most beautiful climbs (7.6km at 6%) of the entire tour, the ascent of Alto de Sant Pere de Rodes. A consistent climb with pitches of 12 percent, our efforts will be awarded by the mediaeval monastery that sits atop the summit. An enjoyable and twisting descent will take us back towards the sea before we then cross into France and the sleepy seaside resort of Banyuls-sur-Mer. The smell of the sea will soon be wafted away as we head through thick forest towards the day’s final challenge: Coll de Banyuls. Averaging 3.5% for 10.3km, the first eight kilometres are an easy affair, until the last 1,700m that rears up to gradients in the high teens. Fear not, however, because as soon as we top out at the summit and arrive back into Spain, we have a 20km descent into our night’s resting place.

The tight valleys, imposing cliffs and rock walls will give way to a different kind of scenery today as we cross into the Garrotxa region that is characterised by its flatter and more open terrain that owes its form to the area’s volcanic history. Once through the busy town of Olot, we’ll approach the day’s main climb, the Coll de Capsacosta (6.2km at 5.2%). Leafy forests, atypical in this part of Catalonia, will stay with us as we begin the descent from the climb, before we arrive into the sizable town of Ripoll where we’ll spend the night. Famous for its Romanesque-inspired Benedictine monastery built in the 9th century, the town has a thriving nails and weaponry industry between the 16th and 18th centuries and was one of Europe’s most important gunsmith centres.

A short but beautiful day is in store for us as we cover less ground than the previous days but go even higher into even more magnificent terrain. Upon leaving Ripoll, we’ll have a steady warm-up up to the Coll de Merolla (14.8km at 2.5%) that gradually packs in almost 400m of elevation. At the summit we’ll take a narrow much less-ridden road up into the hamlet of Castellar de n’Hug that sits at the bottom of the Coll de la Creueta (9.5km at 5.7%). At an altitude of 1,921m, we’ll have splendid views into the heart of Bergadà and we’ll even be able to pick out the popular ski stations of La Molina and La Masella. A long descent will take us onto the wide and high plateau that makes up the Cerdanya region, with some of the Pyrenees’ highest points visible all around. 

Make sure you wake up with your climbing legs for today we ascend to the highest paved road in the entire Pyrenees, leaving Spain for France and then crossing into the principality of mountainous Andorra. Within kilometres we’ll cross the Franco-Spanish border and be on the long but steady ascent of the Col du Puymorens (26.9km at 2.9%). A short descent will preclude the ascent of Port d’Envalira. Passing into Andorra, we’ll ride beyond the ski station of Pas de la Casa and onto an altitude of 2,409m. After enjoying the wide-open vistas all around us, we’ll rapidly descend towards the tiny country’s main urban centres. In the enchanting village of Canillo, home to many WorldTour professional cyclists including riders like Tom Pidcock, we’ll swing a right and ascend the many hairpins of the mythical Coll d’Ordino ascent (7km at 4.4%). An obligatory stop to visit the ‘dangling man’ at the dramatic Roc del Quer viewpoint will come before an enjoyable forested descent and into the village of La Massana.

Following the climbing exploits of the past few days, our sixth day is more of a recovery spin as we cross back into Spain. But before we touch base with Catalonia, we’ll enjoy the delights of Andorra a little bit more, climbing up to Alto de la Comella (3.8km ay 7.8%). A favourite of both the Tour de France and Vuelta a España in recent years, riders like Chris Froome and Miguel Ángel López have made the ascent look easy en-route to Llac d’Engolasters. From the popular lake, we’ll then descend back onto the main road and take a fast and flowing descent into La Seu d’Urgell where it’s likely we’ll see many of the local pros. Overlooked by the Sierra de Cadí mountains to the south, the town is an outdoor sporting haven with a mediaeval centre. 

Another short but climb-laden day in the saddle will see us tackle two iconic local cols. The first ascent comes straight away as soon as depart La Seu d’Urgell, the almost traffic-free and perfectly smooth surface of the Coll de la Traba (16.6km at 5%) presenting us with marvellous panoramic views. Entering the rarely-visited region of Bergadá, we’ll soon be taking on the Coll de Port (9.6km at 5,6%), another steady climb devoid of savage gradients, thus being an ascent that we can all enjoy. At the top we’ll have a fantastic 18km descent into the village of Sant Llorenç de Morunys that is the home of the wacky, crazy but fabulous Tour du Lord. 

The final day of a wonderful week of cycling will see us pass through yet more impressive terrain, reservoirs and mountains dominating the landscape as we follow the course of the river. From the city of Manresa, the most-densely populated in central Catalonia, we’ll have a great view of the small but striking mountains of Montserrat. Before we can fully appreciate the unique geology, we have one final climb (7.3km at 6.5%) to get over that will take us to our finishing location of the Montserrat Monastery. After taking photos and enjoying our surroundings, a transfer will drop us off in Barcelona ready for a night of celebration.