Ruta del Sol 2021 Route stage 1: Vera – Pulpí

Vera and Pulpí are located midway between Murcía and Almería in the southeastern part of Spain. The region is not known for its long climbs, yet the terrain is never even either. So climbing legs will come in handy in the 1st stage of the Ruta del Sol.

Details on the exact route have yet to be announced, so we’ll update this article later.

The finish is not in Pulpí itself, but in the Sierra del Aguilón to the east of the village. Which is where the Giant Geode of Pulpi was discovered in 1999. The egg-shaped rock formation measures 8 metres long and almost 2 metres high and wide, making it the largest geode in Europe.

Last year’s Vuelta a Andalucía began with a mountain stage to the Sierra de Grazalema. Jakob Fuglsang took the spoils ahead of Mikel Landa. The Dane wore the leader’s jersey for the rest of the race, thus succeeding himself as the winner of the Ruta del Sol.