Ruta del Sol shortened to three days as stage 2 also cancelled due to protests

After the opening stage of the Vuelta Andalucía 'Ruta del Sol' was called off on Wednesday, organisers announced that Thursday's stage 2 will also be cancelled due to continued protests drawing away the police who were supposed to provide security for the race.

Stage 2 was due to run from Málaga to Alcaudete over 192.2km as one of the key stages of the event, which was supposed to have five stages.

Now Ruta del Sol organisers are scrambling to salvage the race alongside the UCI officials and teams.

The race, if all goes to plan, will now start on Friday with a 5km time trial in the town of Alcaudete rather than the planned 161km stage.

Saturday's stage has been shifted to a circuit in the town of Lucena - the planned finish of the original 166.7km stage from Córdoba - of 100km finishing on the Alto de Nuestra Señora de Araceli.

"This spectacular final witnessed the victory of Alejandro Valverde in 2012, in 2003 of Javier Pascual Llorente and in 1998 by Marcelino García. The urban circuit in Lucena will be in the opposite direction to the one that was originally planned on the initial tour but with that hard arrival at the Sanctuary," the race's press release stated.

"The last stage, planned between the localities of Benahavís (Málaga) and La Linea de la Concepción (Cadiz), is expected to be able to travel as it was in the road book, although there is an option B for the case in which you cannot have the maximum security measures required for a race of this category."

The Ruta del Sol is the first major test of the season for riders like Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates). Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious), second at the Volta a Valenciana, is the main favourite.

Seven WorldTour teams are set to compete in the race, UAE Team Emirates, Bahrain Victorious, Movistar, Jayco-AlUla, Astana, Alpecin-Deceuninck and Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale.