Simon Yates, O'Connor, Trentin headline field for Ruta del Sol 2022 - Preview

The peloton rides through the province of Jaén on the 2020 Ruta del Sol
The peloton rides through the province of Jaén on the 2020 Ruta del Sol (Image credit: Getty)

A last stop-off before the Opening Weekend in Belgium, another early test run for the Ardennes Classics, or a slow but steady step towards the Grand Tours? All and any of these objectives are writ large for many of the top names taking part in this year’s very hilly, five-day Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista del Sol, which starts this Wednesday in the sierras of south-west Andalucia.

One of Spain’s most venerable stage races, which kicked off way back in 1925, this year’s Ruta del Sol - or Vuelta a Andalucia as it is also known -  returns to its usual February slot after the pandemic forcibly postponed the Ruta to May in 2021. 

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Alasdair Fotheringham

Alasdair Fotheringham has been reporting on cycling since 1991. He has covered every Tour de France since 1992 bar one, as well as numerous other bike races of all shapes and sizes, ranging from the Olympic Games in 2008 to the now sadly defunct Subida a Urkiola hill climb in Spain. As well as working for Cyclingnews, he has also written for The IndependentThe GuardianProCycling, The Express and Reuters.