The Ruta del Sol Vuelta Ciclista Andalucía will be decided by a 4.9km time trial on Friday, with race organisers forced to cancel both stages at the weekend after the opening stages were already scrapped due to farmer protests and the consequent lack of police in southern Spain.
Riders have been replacing the cancelled opening stages with training rides but will now head home after racing just 4.9km and only one of the five planned days of action.
“The organisation of the 70th edition of the Ruta del Sol Vuelta Ciclista Andalucía announces that it is forced to suspend the Saturday and Sunday stages due to extra-sports events that are happening in Andalusia,” the race organiser wrote on social media, just before the time trial began.
The Ruta del Sol was supposed to be an early season test for the likes of Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates), Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious) and Felix Gall (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale).
Seven WorldTour teams travelled to southern Spain for the race: UAE Team Emirates, Bahrain Victorious, Movistar, Jayco-AlUla, Astana Qazaqstan, Alpecin-Deceuninck and Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale.
In a longer message, the race organisers explained the difficulties they have faced to try to keep the race on and thanked everyone involved.
“After endless negotiations, despite having all the permits and meeting the requirements of the regulations, the government authorities have not been able to guarantee the assistance of the necessary law enforcement agencies to organise the event and to keep all participants safe for the next two stages,” they said.
Given this abnormal situation, over which our organisation has no influence, only the time trial planned for next Friday in the city of Alcaudete has not been cancelled.”
“The organisation would like to thank the titanic efforts of each of the various municipalities, councils, associations, Junta de Andalucia, teams and riders, UCI, the local cycling association, the Spanish Cycling Federation, commercial companies, members of the organisation and the technical team for their efforts, as well as the Agrupación de Trafico and other state security services and bodies, the Government Delegation and other institutions for their help and cooperation to reverse this totally exceptional situation to which we in Andalusia, Spain and Europe have fallen victim.”
“It not only causes significant economic damage, and damage to the image of the organisation, but also serious damage to the image of Andalusian and Spanish cycling. For this reason, we would like to thank the many expressions of support and solidarity we have received during these days.”
