Iznájar also hosted last year’s 2nd stage on the Ruta del Sol, or Vuelta a Andalucía. It served as a finish though. Gonzalo Serrano attacked on the punchy climb up into the town and held off the peloton to take the best win of is career.
A similar finale is likely to happen in Alcalá la Real, although the steep climb to the Castillo (or Fortaleza) de la Mota is slightly shorter. The ascent to the ruined 13th century fortress is 800 metres long and rises at 10%. Which is an average gradient – the road gets steeper near the finish line.
The route from Iznájar to the castle is far from flat either. After four classified ascents the Alto de la Hortichuela presents the toughest challenge. The 8.3 kilometres at 5.4% could very well turn out to be decisive. The riders reach the summit 9 kilometres before the finish line, while the ensuing downhill coincides with the base of the castle climb.
Ruta del Sol 2021 – stage 2: route, profile, finale
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