Course and results of Ruta Del Sol 2025 | Kristoff close to victory 100, another chance tomorrow

After a series of one-day races and a women's stage race, the men now have a multi-day race in Spain to tackle. The Ruta Del Sol is on the starting grid. It is a chance for the organization to redeem itself after a lack of police officers ruined last year's race. With a fantastic list of participants this year, it will be action-packed again. IDLProCycling.com provides you once again with a detailed preview!

Things were pretty grim last year: thanks to farmer protests in the region, stages one, two, four, and five had to be canceled. Only the third stage, a time trial over five kilometers, could proceed. Maxim Van Gils was the strongest there, and most comically, he immediately won the GC. This year, the Belgian, now riding for Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, will again be at the start in the far south of Spain.

This year, the program again includes five stages, and we can expect nonstop action on the hilly rides every day. There is no time trial this time, but that shouldn't spoil the fun: With names like Van Gils, Enric Mas, Nairo Quintana, and Tom Pidock at the start, it will undoubtedly be a fantastic week of racing.

Practical information Ruta Del Sol 2025

• Wednesday, February 19 - Sunday, February 23
• Participants
• Classification: 2.Pro

Latest winners Ruta Del Sol

2024 Maxim Van Gils
2023 Tadej Pogacar
2022 Wout Poels
2021 Miguel Ángel López
2020 Jakob Fuglsang
2019 Jakob Fuglsang
2018 Tim Wellens
2017 Alejandro Valverde
2016 Alejandro Valverde
2015 Chris Froome

Course, stage favorites and times Ruta Del Sol 2025

Stage 1, Wednesday, February 19: Torrox - Cueva de Nerja (163 km)

The first stage is, as expected, demanding from the start. In 163 kilometers, the riders must overcome more than 3000 vertical meters. With an impressive five categorized climbs, it will never be truly flat. The last climb may not seem complicated on paper, but anything can happen. The last kilometer climbs, with a steep slope in the final meters. So it's a race to enjoy!

Winner:
Maxim van Gils (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe)  

Stage 2, Thursday, February 20: Alcaudete - Torredelcampo (133 km)

In the opening hour, after an 8-kilometer climb (with a sprint at the infamous Valdepeñas de Jaén), the riders will tackle Puerto Viejo twice, a climb of almost 9 kilometers at 6 percent. Then, it is another fifty kilometers to the finish, again on a difficult stretch: the last kilometer has an 8.2 percent gradient.

Winner:
Tom Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling)

Stage 3, Friday, February 21: Arjona - Pozoblanco (162 km)

It is time for the flattest stage of the Tour of Andalusia, although even this stage is quite tricky. The riders will face only 1100 meters of altitude, particularly at the beginning of the race. But the last part also involves some ups and downs, with once again no flat finish. Still, this is an opportunity for the small group of sprinters that will be present.

Winner:
Aleksander Kristoff (Uno-X Mobility)

Stage 4, Saturday, February 22: Córdoba - Alhaurín de la Torre (194 km)

It is a copy of Friday: Saturday's stage does not seem very difficult, and therefore, one for the fast men. Again, the main difficulty is not at the end but at the beginning and middle, with some meters of altitude. This is the longest stage of the race, but at 194 kilometers, it will not have too much influence. And, you guessed it, the finish is on a slope again.

Favorites:
Aleksander Kristoff (Uno-X Mobility)
Axel Laurance (INEOS Grenadiers)
Tom Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling)  

Times
Start: 4:55 AM EST
Finish: 9:10 AM EST

Stage 5, Sunday, February 23: Benahavís - La Linéa de la Concepción (168 km)

This is another stage that starts with a real mountain ride and is followed by an almost entirely flat finish. However, on paper, it seems a bit more difficult than the previous two tests. It's uphill on the rugged Puerto del Madroño, then up and down until the final sixty kilometers. There, the riders will find themselves on a smooth road that will take them to the finish line of the last stage. How the race unfolds will depend on how the riders race during the first three hours.

Favorites:
Tom Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling)
Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility)
Axel Laurance (INEOS Grenadiers)

Times
Start: 6:00 AM EST
Finish: 9:05 AM EST

Favorites final classification Ruta Del Sol 2025 

Not all the names have been announced for the multi-day Spanish race, but quite a few good riders are already contenders. Without a time trial, Enric Mas (Movistar) will eagerly look forward to the steep slopes in the south of his home country. He will have the support of a strong team: Nairo Quintana and Ruben Guerreiro, who can also ride for the GC and are in good form. They will have to deal with Maxim Van Gils (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe).

But UAE Team Emirates - XRG also has a team that wants to compete for the win. They even have a former overall winner in Tim Wellens, but Pavel Sivakov and Marc Soler could be contenders. And what about Pablo Torres? The 18-year-old top talent still has to prove himself, but who knows what he can do without real pressure?

Read more below the photo!

After his success in the AlUla Tour, Tom Pidcock undoubtedly wants to give the success of Q36.5 Pro Cycling a suitable follow-up. Then he will have to deal with fellow mountain biker Alan Hatherly (Jayco-AlUla), who also did well in Saudi Arabia. Uno-X Mobility is counting on Tobias Halland Johannessen, who has good climbing qualities and an excellent finishing kick. Johannes Staune-Mittet will normally be the leader for Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale: he can do well in his first stage race for the team.

Who are the favorites for the final classification of the 2025 Ruta Del Sol, according to IDLProCycling.com?

Top favorites: Enric Mas (Movistar) and Maxim Van Gils (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe)

Outsiders: Tim Wellens, Pavel Sivakov(both UAE Team Emirates - XRG), Tom Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling) and Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility)

Long shots: Johannes Staune-Mittet (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), Alan Hatherly (Jayco-AlUla), Nairo Quintana, Ruben Guerreiro (both Movistar), Marc Soler and Pablo Torres (both UAE Team Emirates - XRG)

TV Broadcast Ruta Del Sol 2025

Good news! The Ruta Del Sol will be broadcast on Eurosport 1. The first images will be shown on TV at 8 AM EST, and the broadcast will start half an hour earlier at the weekend. The race can also be followed on HBO Max and Discovery+ online channels.

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