Godon, winner of the first and third stage, has a 13-second lead over Pidcock in the overall standings. The Belgian double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel (+0:14 minutes) from the German team Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe is close behind in third place. An attack on the overall lead can also be expected from two-time Tour winner Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike/+0:24).
The organisers of the Volta a Catalunya announced late on Wednesday that Thursday's stage 4 to Vallter, set to finish at 2,110 metres in elevation, was to be cut short due to high winds.
"Due to the activation of a Level 3 VENCAT (sic) warning, with wind gusts of up to 90 km/h forecast at the summit of Vallter, the Volta a Catalunya has been forced to shorten the route of its 4th stage, scheduled for Thursday 26 March", read a press release.
The toughest stage of the 2026 Volta a Catalunya route arrives on Friday with a high altitude finish on the Coll de Pal. On the 155.3 km long fifth stage, just over 4,500 metres in altitude have to be conquered, the final climb up the Coll de Pal is 16.5 km long and has an average gradient of 7.2 per cent.