Following on from its first edition held in 2022, the Vuelta a Andalucia has announced the route for the 2023 edition to be held between May 31st and June 4th 2023. After a successful opening, the race will grow by 2 stages, from 3 stages last year to 5 stages in 2023. The rolling terrain will be included again as the race visits 4 of the Andalusian provinces. Last year’s race was won by Arlenis Sierra, ahead of Mavi Garcia and Ricarda Bauernfeind.
2023 Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta del Sol Elite Women Route
Stage 1 sees the riders leave Alcalá la Real and finish in La Zubia (Granada). Taking in 116km and a pair of Cat 3 climbs at 48 to go and 37km to go. Possibly a little too far for a launch point but enough to thin out the bunch before the finish. 3 sprints also allows some possible GC movements based on the bonus seconds.
The next day riders will race 95km between Salobreña and Competa. It’s a summit finish, with a Cat 1 climb up to the finish line in the town of Competa – also known as the Pyrenees of the Costa del Sol. As a 15km long climb, it will present a solid test and set the first real general classification. The Cat 3 climb of Alto de Itrabo comes earlier in the day, with a pair of intermediate sprints before the final test.
Day 3 is between Nerja and Alora in Malaga. A rolling day sees 134km of racing including a pair of Cat 3 climbs (La Joya & Los Nogales) and Cat 2 climb (Colmenar) with just 34km to go to the finish line in Alora.
The penultimate stage will be 111.5km starting in Pizarra and finishing in Mijas, again in the region of Malaga. A pair of 2nd Cat climbs (Puerto Martinez & Puerto de las Abejas) early on will kick off a stage that winds its way to the coast for a flat finish.
Finally, the last day of the race will be between Ona Valle Romano Golf and Resort in Estepona and the conclusion of the race in Castellar de la Frontera in Cadiz. 95km of racing will decide the winner of the race with the Puerto del Hacho de Gaucin the final major climbing test with 30km to go to the finish.
The final Spanish race in the 2023 calendar, it will be the end of a block of racing that started with reVolta and the ongoing La Vuelta Femenina which kicked off with yesterday’s Stage 1 before heading to Navarra Elite Classics, Itzulia Women, Durango-Durango, Vuelta a Burgo, GP de Eibar and finally, the Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta del Sol.
Main photo credit: Sprint Cycling Agency
