Sunday 21 February 2016 15:55, UK
Take a closer look at this five-day Spanish stage race which we won with Chris Froome in 2015.
With the season now in full swing, we return to the Ruta del Sol (17-21 February) hoping to defend the title we won with Chris Froome in 2015.Held in southern Spain, the race (also known as the Vuelta a Andalucia) is a varied one, with an individual time trial and two brutal mountain stages squeezed into the five-day event which is a good indicator of early-season form.
Wout Poels, fresh from his General Classification success at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, looks set to lead the team with Mikel Nieve also aiming to impress on home turf. Vasil Kiryienka will be looking forward to donning his rainbow jersey on stage four, with Christian Knees, Gianni Moscon, Nicolas Roche and lead sprinter Ben Swift rounding out an impressive seven-man squad.
Stage one: Almonaster la Real to Sevilla - 165.2km
The opening stage starts 600m above sea level and is fairly bumpy until the 80-kilometre mark, at which point a long descent begins into the heart of Sevilla. A flat final 20km should ensure it is the sprinters who will compete for the win.
TV coverage: Live on British Eurosport 2 between 1430-1530 with highlights at 1755, 1930 and 2300.
Stage two: Palomares del Rio to Cordoba - 186.3km
This is potentially another day for the sprinters if they can recover from the opening stage and stay in touch over El Puerto de Santa Maria de Trassierra - which comes 15km from the finish. It's flat all day until the riders reach that 5km climb, and the final stages are likely to be frantic on the twisting descent into Cordoba.
TV coverage: Live on British Eurosport 2 between 1430-1600 with highlights at 1930 and 2300.
Stage three: Monachil to El Padul - 157.9km
A tough day in the mountains with 33km of climbing, the stage flows from Granada, out into the local hills, and back. Ripe for a breakaway win, the peloton will be in for a battle to control the day, especially if the winds whip up on the exposed sections of road.
TV coverage: Live on British Eurosport 2 between 1445-1630 with highlights at 1745, 1930 and 2300.
Stage four: Alhaurin de la Torre (Individual Time Trial) - 21km
The individual time trial has the potential to create significant gaps in the general classification with a 1km-long, 15% climb coming midway through the course. If that wasn't enough, there's also a sting in the tail with a 500m climb at 5.5% dragging up all the way to the finish.
TV coverage: Highlights on British Eurosport 2 between 1700-1900 and 2255.
Stage five: San Roque to Penas Blancas - 164.2km
Starting from Gibraltar, the queen stage has five climbs in store for the riders, including two category-one ascents. Fittingly, the toughest climb is left until last and takes the peloton from sea level up to 1,000m in just 14km for another summit finish. It should make for a dramatic final day in Spain.
TV coverage: Highlights on British Eurosport 1 between 1545-1745 and 2300.
