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MALAGA.
Tuesday, 7 February 2023, 17:54
Some of the world's best cyclists will be heading to the region for the 69th edition of the Vuelta a Andalucía next week.
A total of 17 teams, including seven of the top 15 in the UCI rankings, will take part in the so-called 'Ruta del Sol', which will take place from Wednesday 15 to Sunday 19 February.
The list of participating teams is headed by the second-placed team in the world ranking, UAE. The team led by Joxean Fernández Matxin will be back on the roads of Andalucía after an excellent showing last year, during which they achieved a stage victory with Italian Alessandro Covi and topped the final points classification.
British team Ineos Grenadiers, third in the ranking, will once again hope to show its strength on Andalusian soil and will do so with the backing of one of the region's biggest talents: Carlos Rodríguez from Granada.
Bahrain Victorius, meanwhile, will be out to defend their title. Last year, the Dutchman Wout Poels won overall final victory and, this time, the team will try to do even better in the general classification.
Astana, who have done very well on the Ruta del Sol thanks to victories from Jakob Fuglsang in 2018 and 2020, will on this occasion be looking to Joe Dombrowsky and Luis León Sanchez from Murcia for inspiration.
Among the Spanish representation, Movistar stand out once again. This time, however, the team arrives in Andalucía without their recently departed leader, Alejandro Valverde, who holds the record for victories in the race. Spain's best cyclist at the moment, Enric Más, will be competing in his absence.
Completing the list of Spanish teams will be Euskaltel Euskadi, who will almost certainly have Andalusian riders Luis Ángel Maté and Juan José Lobato in their team.
The Vuelta a Andalucía will begin on Wednesday 15 February in Puente de Génave, Jaén, at the gateway to the Sierra de Segura natural park. It will be a tough stage, the second longest, with 179 kilometres, a cumulative difference in altitude of 5,162 metres with an average gradient of 3 per cent and a maximum, lung-busting, 26 per cent. It features three, category one climbs: Navalperal, Garganta de Hornos and Despiernacaballos. The latter will be only eight kilometres from the finish in Santiago de la Espada.
The following day, Thursday 16 February, the town of Diezma, Granada, will be the start of the second stage. This will be a slightly easier day, at 156 kilometres long, but with the demanding finish at the Fortaleza de la Mota in Alcalá la Real, Jaén. It will be a spectacular sight as riders tackle the traditional cobbles up to the fortress.
The third stage will start from Alcalá de Guadaira, Seville. It will be a transition day with 161 kilometres, but with a memorable high finish in Alcalá de los Gazules. The fourth stage will start in the town of Olvera, Cadiz, and will finish in Iznájar, Córdoba, passing through four provinces and with an uphill finish.
The last stage will link Otura, Granada, and the Malaga town of Alhaurín de la Torre. It will be a complex day of 184 kilometres, the longest of the race. The stage takes in the infamous first category mountain pass of the Puerto del Sol with 17 kilometres of hard ramps, and hairpins that will break up the main group.
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