Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista del Sol 2022

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Kämna wins final stage of Ruta del Sol while Poels seals overall classification

Attacking on the final seven-kilometre climb to Chiclana de Segura, Lennard Kämna (Bora-Hansgrohe) won stage 5 of the 2022 Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta del Sol. Wout Poels (Bahrain Victorious) held off attacks from his rivals on the steeper sections of the final ascent to secure the overall victory.

Kämna was part of a 17-man breakaway which had a gap of two minutes on the bunch approaching the climb to the finish. The German was aided by teammate Emanuel Buchmann to launch his efforts at the front with three kilometres remaining and took his fourth career victory.

In the GC battle, Miguel Ángel López (Astana Qazaqstan Team), placed second overall, launched an attack on Poels, but the German responded. Cristián Rodríguez (TotalEnergies) finished the stage strongly for second overall, beating a fading López who would finish on the final podium spot and not replicating his overall title from a year ago.

Wout Poels wins stage 4 of Ruta del Sol

In a two-rider matchup to the line in Baza, Wout Poels (Bahrain Victorious) won stage 4 victory at Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta del Sol by crossing the line ahead of Alexey Lutsenko (Astana Qazaqstan). With the sprint victory, Poels took over the race lead as well. 

It was from a front group of 14 riders that Poels launched his attack with 15km to go in the penultimate stage. Along with Lutsenko, the pair generated a lead of 29 seconds over the chasers with 12 kilometres to the finish to set up the duel. 

Defending Ruta del Sol champion Miguel Ángel López (Astana Qazaqstan) was part of that same group and finished 10th in the bunch sprint, keeping him second overall in the GC standing, now 10 seconds back. Cristian Rodriguez Martin (TotalEnergies) moved to third overall.

Stage 4 was the queen stage, defined by 2,987 metres of climbing over 167.4 kilometres, the first-category Alto del El Higueral punishing the peloton just 29km from the start in Cúllar Vega. 

Ruta del Sol: Magnus Sheffield wins stage 3

Magnus Sheffield (Ineos Grenadiers) attacked on the uphill finish in Otura to win stage 3 of the Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista del Sol. Simon Clarke (Israel-Premier Tech) led the sprint behind for second while Stan Dewulf (AG2R Citroën Team) finished third.

It was the first professional win the 19-year-old American, who had worked his way into a select lead group and used his time trialing skills to create a gap for the solo victory. With three kilometres to go, a crash took down his teammate Jhonatan Narváez, leaving the bold move up to Sheffield.

Alessandro Covi (UAE Team Emirates) kept his overall leader's jersey by eight seconds after 153.2 kilometres across four categorised climbs. Miguel Angel López (Astana Qazaqstan Team) was second with Clarke in third, another two seconds down.

Ruta del Sol: Covi wins stage 2

Alessandro Covi (UAE Team Emirates) won stage 2 of the Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista del Sol with an early attack on the cobbles to Alcalá la Real. He attacked in the final kilometre and used two explosive kicks to hold off Miguel Ángel López (Astana Qazaqstan) for the victory.

From the closing bunch on the twisting uphill finish, Ivan Sosa (Movistar) earned third place, four seconds back and narrowly edging  Jack Haig (Bahrain Victorious) for the final podium spot.

Rune Herregodts (Sport Vlaanderen Baloise), who wore the yellow leader's jersey courtesy of his stage 1 victory, faded from the front group with two kilometres to go which gave Covi the overall lead heading to Friday. Ander Okamika (Burgos-BH) is second overall, five seconds back, and Sosa sits third at 10 seconds. 

Ruta del Sol: Herregodts wins opening stage

Rune Herregodts (Sport Vlaanderen Baloise) pushed ahead of his breakaway companions on the uphill finish in Iznájar to win stage 1 of the 2022 Vuelta a Andaulcia Ruta del Sol. American Stephen Bassett (Human Powered Health) trailed just two seconds later for the next podium spot, ahead of Ander Okamika (Burgos-BH) in third. 

The arduous 200-kilometre stage came down to a duel on the final 150 metres of the contest. Six of the eight breakaway riders blasted up the final 1.5km climb with a seven per cent gradient to the town centre, Berregodts working with teammate Lindsay De Vylder and then bumping shoulders with Bassett in the middle of the road as the duo hit the closing metres at the front. Herregodts pushed on and finished the final few pedal strokes to take the win, while Bassett dropped his head for the near win and said""the strongest rider won today."

News and features

• New Bora-Hansgrohe strategy pays off for Ruta del Sol stage winner Kämna
• Poels hails 'special' support from Haig, Landa, Caruso in Ruta del Sol victory
• Simon Yates says 'I'll always give it a crack' after relentless day at Ruta del Sol
• O'Connor: high-voltage Ruta del Sol finale was 'racing people want to see'
• Poels grasps opportunity to break three-year win drought at Ruta del Sol
• Pozzovivo making up for lost ground at Ruta del Sol after last-minute signing
• Mikel Landa looking to tackle Giro d'Italia and Tour de France in 2022
• Sheffield claims maiden pro road victory for Ineos Grenadiers
• Human Powered Health and Gazprom quit Ruta del Sol after multiple COVID-19 cases
• Jack Haig: Aim is to get through Ruta del Sol and stay healthy
• Simon Yates' prep for Giro d'Italia begins at Ruta del Sol
• Carlos Rodriguez in contention for Ineos on home soil at Ruta del Sol
• O'Connor baffled on Ruta del Sol opener as early break stays away
• COVID-19 vaccine issue and triceps training help set Herregodts to Ruta success
• Bassett comes painfully close to breakthrough win in Ruta del Sol
• Simon Yates, O'Connor, Trentin headline field for Ruta del Sol 2022 - Preview
• Vincenzo Nibali out of Vuelta a Andalucia after COVID-19 positive

Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta del Sol 2022 route

There are 19 classified climbs on the route this year, with the first challenge a category 1 climb of Puerto del Boyar in the first hour of racing. Stage 1 has a total of three mountain passes and is also the longest day at 200.7 kilometres from Ubrique to Iznájar. Stage 2 rolls from Archidona to Alcalá la Real at 150.6km with five categorised climbs on offer. The next day is a similar distance that starts in Lucena with some rolling terrain and sprinters should rule the day in Ortura.

The difficult category-1 Alto del Purche will be on the menu just 21.6km from the start in Cúllar Vega. After two more categorised climbs the peloton will find its way to the finish in Baza.

Organisers saved the best for last this year with the 146.4km stage 5 from Huesa to the final 7km ascent to the mountain village of Chiclana de Segura, moved from its mid-race position from 2021. Of note is that Ruta del Sol does not include bonus seconds for any of the stages, so that will play into the GC battle.

Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta del Sol 2022 stages

• Stage 1 - February 16, Ubrique to Iznájar, 200.7km
• Stage 2 - February 17, Archidona to Alcalá la Real, 150.6km
• Stage 3 - February 18, Lucena to Otura, 153.2km
• Stage 4 - February 19, Cúllar Vega to Baza, 167.4km
• Stage 5 - February 20, Huesa to Chiclana de Segura, 146.4km

Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta del Sol 2022 teams

• AG2R Citroën
• Astana Qazaqstan
• Bahrain Victorious
• Bora-Hansgrohe
• Ineos Grenadiers
• Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
• Israel-Premier Tech
• Lotto Soudal
• Movistar
• QuickStep-AlphaVinyl
• Team BikeExchange-Jayco
• UAE Team Emirates
• Alpecin-Fenix
• Burgos-BH
• Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
• Eolo-Kometa
• Equipo Kern Pharma
• Euskaltel-Euskadi
• Gazprom-Rusvelo
• Human Powered Health
• Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
• Team TotalEnergies