Ruta del Sol 2019 Route stage 1: Sanlúcar de Barrameda – Alcalá de los Gazules

Wednesday 20 February - The opener of the Ruta del Sol is a 164 kilometres race between Sanlúcar de Barrameda and Alcalá de los Gazules. The first half of the route is flat, the second half hilly. The finale is a punchy ascent of 1 kilometre with ramps up to 18%.

The Vuelta a Andalucia, which is the race's other name, starts in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, a place north of Cádiz where Quadalquivir River reaches the Mediterranean. The route runs across flat terrain to Arcos de la Frontera and enters the Sierra de Grazalema. The scenery starts to change and the parcours becomes more hilly.

It is not that the riders face brutal intermediate climbs though. The hardest uphill stretch underway is the Puerto Mojón de la Víbora, which is a 5.5 kilometres ascent at 4.6%. The route rolls on for a bit before cresting its highest point with 34 kilometres remaining.

The last intermediate hill is crested 14 kilometres before the line and the ensuing descent runs to a punchy finale. The climb to the line is the hardest ramp of the day. Partly covered with cobbles, it is a toil of 1 kilometre at 10% with ramps up to 18%. Last year, Tim Wellens laid the foundation for his GC win on this very climb.

Ensuing read: results/race report 1st stage 2019 Ruta del Sol.