Arnold Classic Europe 2018: Dates, Schedule, Prize Money and Top Bodybuilders

The 2018 Arnold Classic Europe will begin on Friday, with Barcelona hosting the annual fitness showcase for the third year in succession.

Europe is one of the five locations on this year's Arnold Classic International tour, which celebrates sports and fitness at both amateur and professional levels.

The festival is named after legendary bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the Arnold Classic Europe will welcome a number of big names from the bodybuilding circuit.

However, after the dedicated season leading up to the Mr. Olympia competition earlier in September, the European leg of the tour can struggle to deliver the same pedigree of stars.

Fans will nevertheless be prepared for a bodybuilding blockbuster in Barcelona this weekend.

Schedule

Friday, September 28

Men's, Women's and Juniors

Master Men's Bodybuilding

Men's Classic Physique

Saturday, September 29

Junior Men's Physique

Women's Bodyfitness

Sunday, September 30

Men's Bodybuilding, Men's Fitness

Women's Bikini Fitness, Women's Physique

Click here to see the schedule in full.

Mr. Olympia competitor Mamdouh "Big Ramy" Elssbiay walked away with $40,000 in prize money for winning the bodybuilding portion of last year's Arnold Classic Europe, per Fitness Volt, but he won't be back to defend his crown in 2018.

The Egyptian topped a field comprising stars such as Roelly Winklaar and this year's Mr. Olympia, Shawn Rhoden, but the turnout isn't expected to be quite as impressive in Catalonia this time around.

Many of this year's confirmed performers in the professional bodybuilding category are aged 40 or over, and 45-year-old home favourite Toni Gutierrez is sure to get some of the biggest cheers of the weekend.

There are a selection of younger stars closer to their primes who will be worth keeping an eye on, though. In particular, Spaniards Carlos Blanco, 31, and Gregory Bellot, 29, will bring some impressive frames to the stage.

Alexander Westermeier, 26, is the youngest among the confirmed attendees by a number of years, and he posted a recent update on Instagram after suffering a foot injury.

It's unclear what caused the injury, but the German's "#5daysout" hashtag suggests he was happy to get through the final few days of his training.

Czech veteran Tomas Kaspar, 39, weighs in as the heaviest competitor at 120 kilograms, but not far behind him is 113-kilogram Michal Krizanek, whose conditioning appeared to be coming along with a week to go.

Vika Pogribnyak will compete in the women's bikini event and gave her own update in the days leading up to Barcelona.

The final few days of preparation are what will decide who emerges triumphant in Barcelona.