Ruta del Sol 2024 Route stage 1: Almuñécar

Ruta del Sol 2024 Route stage 1: Almuñécar - Cádiar

Wednesday 14 February - The 1st stage of the Ruta del Sol was supposed to sets off from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea to finish after 162.9 kilometres in Las Alpujarras on the south slopes of the Sierra Nevada. But the race has been cancelled at the eleventh hour due to farmers protests.

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The riders clip into their pedals in Almuñécar, birth place of Ineos Grenadiers’ Carlos Rodriguez. The route follows the winding road uphill into the wide Verde River Valley. With mango, papaya, cherimoya and avocado trees left and right, the riders are gettng ready for the first climb, which begins shortly after Jete and throws in 5 kilometres at 7%. The riders move through Ítrabo on descent before they start towards Las Alpujarras.

On the southern slopes of the Sierra Nevada the route climbs to Lanjarón and continues on more even terrain to Órgiva, which is where the hardest climb of the day begins. While ascending the 34 kilometres to Trevélez, the route offers breathtaking vistas to the valleys and gorges – and eventually the Mediterranean – to the south of Las Alpujarras. The average gradient on this big climb hovers around 3%.

From Trevélez it’s still 60 kilometres to the finish line in Cádiar. It starts out with a rolling section before a 20 kilometres downhill takes the riders to Ugíjar. From then on the route returns to climbing, although at shallow gradients. The finale consists of a 3 kilometres climb at 8% before the last 2 kilometres go downhill to the finish line.

Ride the route yourself? Download GPX stage 1.