Ruta del Sol 2021 Route stage 5: Mijas - Zahara de la Sierra

Last year’s Ruta del Sol finished with a time trial from Mijas to Mijas. Dylan Teuns won the race on countback ahead of overall race victor Jakob Fuglsang.

One the flag is dropped the route goes uphill on the Puerto de Mijas. The 6 kilometres climb at 5% sets the tone. The route goes either up or down for the rest of the day until the riders reach the shores of the Zahara-El Gastor reservoir after some 150 kilometres. The short and sharp climb with double digit gradients presents a demanding finale.

The white village of Zahara de la Sierra lies on the northern slopes of the Sierra de Grazalema, the mountain range that served as a finish in the 1st stage of last year’s Ruta del Sol. In fact, the riders moved through Zahara just before the last climb. Some 17 kilometres later Jakob Fuglsang was celebrating while he crossed the line. The Dane defended the leader’s jersey successfully to win the Vuelta a Andalucía for the second consecutive year.