A very nice addition to the increasingly rich Spanish women’s professional calendar is the arrival of the Vuelta a Andalucía. Despite its atypical format -in three working days-, this new Ruta del Sol offers a more than interesting and attractive route, from east to west, with opportunities for all types of runners. The Movistar Team will start a three-week tour on home roads here with full motivation.
The very irregular climb towards Arenas (with a 3 km section at 7% in its central phase) and a final slope at 6% will decide a first coastal stage (Tuesday 3rd), although somewhat sinuous in its central section. The second stage (Wednesday 4), from Malaga to Mijas, will enter the interior with Puerto de Ardales (not scoring) halfway through the race and the hard slope of La Mar (3rd; 9%) just 4 km from the arrival.
The ‘queen’ will be, in principle, the last (Thursday 5), with Puerto de la Cruz (2nd; 5 km at 5%) and, above all, Gaucín (1st; 7 km at 7.5%), crowned, although 40 kilometres from the finish line in Castellar.