Flag of Burkina Faso of black, white, and red. These colours represented the three major tributaries of the Volta River, which flows south through the country: the Black Volta, the White Volta and the Red Volta. It is similar to the tricolor flag used by the German Empire from 1871 to 1918. The flag was changed when Upper Volta became Burkina Faso on 4 August 1984. From 1984 until 1997, the official Burkina Faso coat of arms used a revolutionary central crest featuring a mattock crossed with a Soviet AK-47 assault rifle, along with an open book symbolising the importance of education and the
2016 Volta a Catalunya the defending champion of the Volta itself. Other riders with a chance of high placings included Joaquim Rodríguez (), who had won the race on two previous occasions, and Dan Martin (), the 2013 Volta winner, as well as many other climbers. On account of the mountainous terrain, there were few pure sprinters starting the race. The strongest sprinter who was present was Nacer Bouhanni (), who had been strong in Paris–Nice and had been close to victory in Milan–San Remo until his chain slipped. 21 March 2016, Calella to Calella, The first stage of the Volta covered a course