Ruta del Sol

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The Ruta del Sol slips through Tejay van Garderen's fingers as Alejandro Valverde sticks a long-range attack in the queen stage

Tejay van Garderen wins Ruta del Sol's stage 4 time trial and vaults into the overall lead with one day of racing remaining.

A late two-man break of Navarro and Fraile is caught in the last kilometer as Tinkoff's Oscar Gatto sprints to victory and Ben Swift takes GC lead.

French sprinter Nacer Bouhanni collects his first win of 2016 as well as the overall lead at Ruta del Sol in Spain.

Tinkoff's Daniele Bennati sprints to his first victory of the season in stage 1 of Ruta del Sol in Spain.

GC guys and classics stars alike will test their early season form at Ruta del Sol and Volta ao Algarve, which run concurrently in Spain and Portugal.

Vuelta a Andalucia offers a first glimpse of what promises to be a thrilling season-long battle between Chris Froome and Alberto Contador

Chris Froome takes the Ruta del Sol title after finishing the final stage in the same time as rival Alberto Contador

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Photos from stage 4 of the Ruta del Sol, which saw Chris Froome overhaul Alberto Contador for the overall lead

Chris Froome tests his legs and finds them fully operational with a successful attack on Alberto Contador at the Ruta del Sol

In a battle of Tour de France champions, Chris Froome gets the better of Alberto Contador on the steeps of stage 4 at the Ruta del Sol

Photos from stage 3 of the 2015 Ruta del Sol

The Italian says not being in top condition right now "means nothing"

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Tinkoff-Saxo's Alberto Contador tightens his grip on the Ruta del Sol general classification with a clear mountaintop victory in stage 3.

Photos from the second stage of the race in southern Spain

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Movistar's Juan Jose Lobato outsprints John Degenkolb to win stage 2 of the Ruta del Sol, with Alberto Contador retaining the overall lead

With an overall win at the Étoile de Bessèges and a strong Ruta del Sol time trial in the books, Bob Jungels looks set for a breakout year

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Day one in Andalucia offered a split stage with a chaotic morning road race and a short afternoon TT that saw Contador take the overall lead

Chris Froome says his legs felt good in opening-day time trial in Andalucia, despite losing time to Contador on GC

Schleck has a leg injury following a late-race crash in the first day of Ruta del Sol in Andalucia, Spain

Movistar's Moreno notches his first win of the season in Ruta del Sol's stage 1b time trial. Contador takes overall lead after first day

The split stage picks up later Wednesday with an 8.2km time trial

Alberto Contador's winter training has gone to plan, but with the Giro/Tour double looming, he has dialed back the early season intensity

The two GC riders will square off in southern Spain for the six-day race that starts Wednesday

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Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) will make his season debut at Volta ao Algarve

1. Alejandro VALVERDE BELMONTE, Movistar, in 4:45:28 2. Simon SPILAK, Katusha, at :00 3. Davide REBELLIN, CCC Polsat Polkowice, at :00 4. Bauke MOLLEMA, Blanco, at :00 5. Sander ARMEE, Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise, at :00

Spaniard goes wire-to-wire in Andalucía, bookending the four-day race with two stage wins

Frenchman goes two-in-a-row in Andalusia

1. Jonathan HIVERT, Sojasun, in 4:48:37 2. Tyler FARRAR, Garmin-Sharp, at :00 3. Francesco LASCA, Caja Rural, at :00 4. Grega BOLE, Vacansoleil-DCM, at :00 5. Jakob FUGLSANG, Astana, at :00

Spaniard resets for what may be one last assault on the yellow jersey at the Tour

1. Jonathan HIVERT, Sojasun, at 4:06:36 2. Alejandro VALVERDE BELMONTE, Movistar, at :00 3. Bauke MOLLEMA, Blanco, at :00 4. Simone PONZI, Astana, at :03 5. Davide REBELLIN, CCC Polsat Polkowice, at :03

Frenchman tops the GC favorites in Andalucía

Results from the prologue at the 2013 Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista del Sol

Graham Watson shoots the prologue to the 2013 Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista del Sol

It was Valverde's second win of the season, following a victory February 5 in the Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana

1. Daniel MORENO FERNANDEZ , (ESP) Kat in 3:14:54 2. Alejandro VALVERDE BELMONTE , (ESP) Mov +2 3. Samuel SANCHEZ GONZALEZ , (ESP) Eus +2

Moreno takes final stage

1. Alejandro VALVERDE BELMONTE , (ESP) Mov in 16:08:49 2. Rein TAARAMAE , (EST) Cof +3 3. Jerome COPPEL , (FRA) Sau +8

Oscar Freire (Katusha) dashed to his second victory of the 2012 season with a sprint win in Wednesday’s third stage at the Ruta del Sol in southern Spain

1. Oscar FREIRE GOMEZ , (ESP) Kat in 3:41:55 2. Daniel SCHORN , (AUT) App +0 3. Michael MATTHEWS , (AUS) Rab +0

1. Alejandro VALVERDE BELMONTE , (ESP) Mov in 4:02:37 2. Denis MENCHOV , (RUS) Kat +10 3. Rein TAARAMAE , (EST) Cof +10

Stage 5

• 1. Oscar FREIRE GOMEZ, (ESP) Rabobank Cycling Team, in 3:46:12
• 2. Samuel SANCHEZ GONZALEZ, (ESP) Euskaltel-Euskadi, at 0
• 3. Jonathan HIVERT, (FRA) Saur-Sojasun, at 0
• 4. Davide APPOLLONIO, (ITA) Team Sky, at 0
• 5. Rigoberto URAN URAN, (COL) Team Sky, at 0

• 1. Markel IRIZAR ARANBURU, (ESP) Team RadioShack, in 16:27:21
• 2. Jurgen VAN DEN BROECK, (BEL) Omega Pharma-Lotto, at 1
• 3. Levi LEIPHEIMER, (USA) Team RadioShack, at 2
• 4. Jerome COPPEL, (FRA) Saur-Sojasun, at 3
• 5. Luis PASAMONTES RODRIGUEZ, (ESP) Movistar, at 8

MADRID (AFP) — RadioShack's Markel Irizar (Radioshack) secured overall victory in the Ruta del Sol Thursday after the fifth and final stage, won by Oscar Freire of Rabobank.

CORDOBA, Spain (VN) – Óscar Freire (Rabobank) stayed clear of a finish-line crash at the end of stage 4 to charge to his first win on the 2011 season and claim his seventh career stage victory at the Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista del Sol.

Stage:

• 1. Francisco José VENTOSO ALBERDI, (ESP) Movistar, in 4:21:53
• 2. Juan Jose LOBATO DEL VALLE, (ESP), at s.t.
• 3. Davide APPOLLONIO, (ITA) Team Sky, at s.t.
• 4. Giacomo NIZZOLO, (ITA) Leopard-Trek, at s.t.
• 5. Thierry HUPOND, (FRA) Skil-Shimano, at s.t.

• 1. Markel IRIZAR ARANBURU, (ESP) Team RadioShack, in 8:51:46
• 2. Jurgen VAN DEN BROECK, (BEL) Omega Pharma-Lotto, at 1
• 3. Levi LEIPHEIMER, (USA) Team RadioShack, at 2
• 4. Jerome COPPEL, (FRA) Saur-Sojasun, at 3
• 5. Luis PASAMONTES RODRIGUEZ, (ESP) Movistar, at 8

JAEN, Spain (VN) – A day after losing in a photo-finish, Fran Ventoso (Movistar) got it right to claim victory in Tuesday’s stage 3 at the 57th Ruta del Sol.

Stage 2:

• 1. Jonathan HIVERT, (FRA) Saur-Sojasun, in 4:20:25
• 2. Francisco José VENTOSO ALBERDI, (ESP), at s.t.
• 3. Oscar FREIRE GOMEZ, (ESP) Rabobank Cycling Team, at s.t.
• 4. Stijn DEVOLDER, (BEL), at s.t.
• 5. Serguei IVANOV, (RUS) Team Katusha, at s.t.

• 1. Markel IRIZAR ARANBURU, (ESP) Team RadioShack, in 4:29:53
• 2. Jurgen VAN DEN BROECK, (BEL) Omega Pharma-Lotto, at 1
• 3. Levi LEIPHEIMER, (USA) Team RadioShack, at 2
• 4. Jerome COPPEL, (FRA) Saur-Sojasun, at 3
• 5. Luis PASAMONTES RODRIGUEZ, (ESP), at 8

Jimmy Engoulvent wins the opening time trial by a fraction of a second as the 57th Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista del Sol gets under way.

Stage 1

• 1. Jimmy Engoulvent (Fra), Saur-Sojasun, 9:28
• 2. Markel Irizar Aranburu (Esp), Team RadioShack, same time
• 3. Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel), Omega Pharma-Lotto, at 0:01
• 4. Levi Leipheimer (Usa), Team RadioShack, at 0:02
• 5. Jerome Coppel (Fra), Saur-Sojasun, at 0:03

HTC-Columbia's Michael Rogers scores his first stage race victory since 2003 as he survives an explosive final stage.

Alex Rasmussen (Saxo Bank) delivered a huge TT win over some big names in Wednesday’s 10.9km course at the Ruta del Sol in Spain, topping such riders as Bradley Wiggins (Sky) and Tony Martin (HTC-Columbia).

Oscar Freire (Rabobank) has already won more races this year than he did in all of 2009, and it’s only February. The Spanish “gato” pounced to his second straight victory in Tuesday’s third stage at the Ruta del Sol (AKA the Vuelta a Andalucia), fending off Grega Bole (Lampre) and Simon Gerrans (Sky) to claim his third win in the 2010 season.

Omloop Het Niuwsblad, KBK and the Vuelta a Andalucia highlight a big week in Europe. Andrew Hood gives the run down.

Oscar Freire (Rabobank) wins Stage 2 of the Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista del Sol.

Sergio Pardilla (Carmiooro) wins the first stage of the Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista del Sol.

Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia) is slated to begin his 2010 campaign on Sunday at the Ruta del Sol after an abscessed tooth postponed a planned start at the Tour of Qatar.

Mark Cavendish will postpone his season debut until the Ruta del Sol in mid-February due to a dental problem that’s delayed his training. The HTC-Columbia ace was expecting to make his 2010 season debut at the Tour of Qatar in early February, but team officials said he will open his campaign at the five-day Spanish race instead.

Davide Rebellin (Diquigiovanni) might want to reconsider his decision to retire at the end of this season. The veteran Italian snagged his second stage win of the week at the Ruta del Sol and almost snuck away with the overall in the fourth and final stage, a 168km leg from Torrox Costa to Antequera. Joost Posthuma (Rabobank) finished nine seconds back of the attacking Rebellin with the rest of the front pack to claim a two-second victory over Xavier Tondo (Andalucía-CajaSur) in the five-day race across Spain’s Andalucía region.

This might be Davide Rebellin’s last season, but don’t tell him that he’s done just yet. The veteran Italian pulled off a thrilling victory in Wednesday’s third stage, a hilly course from Marbella to Benahavis through the hills along Spain’s Costa del Sol, out-kicking a stellar field to win for the first time this season. Rebellin took down Filippo Pozzato (Katusha) and relegated Cadel Evans (Silence-Lotto) to third in a victory that reveals the classics specialist might have one more trick up his sleeve this April before riding off into the sunset.

Gert Steegmans continues Katusha’s early season haul with the team’s second straight win at the Ruta del Sol in Tuesday’s 164km romp from the foothills near Granada to Córdoba. The big Belgian blasted ahead of teammate and yesterday’s winner Danilo Napolitano to give the Russian-backed squad its seventh win on the 2009 season. Wim Stroetinga (Milram) came through third while Joost Postuma (Rabobank) finished safely in the main pack to retain the race leader’s jersey.

Danilo Napolitano nabbed yet another victory for the upstart Katusha team, this time in the first stage at the Vuelta a Andalucía/Ruta del Sol in Spain. Thanks to a top-notch leadout from teammates Filippo Pozzato and Gert Steegmans, the brawny Italian sprinter easily out-kicked Tom Veelers (Skil-Shimano) to win the 169.2km first stage from La Guardía de Jaén to Humilladero. Jurgen Roelandts (Silence-Lotto) came through third while overnight leader Xavier Tondo (Andalucía-CajaSur) finished out of the top-10 and forfeited the race leader’s jersey.

Ivan Basso (Liquigas) makes his first race appearance on home roads since his Operación Puerto ban as the Italian and Spanish calendars open this weekend. Basso already debuted his 2009 season at the Tour de San Luís in Argentina last month, but will race on Italian roads for the first time since the 2007 Tirreno-Adriatico in Saturday’s GP Costa degli Etruschi.

The long winter wait is over for fans champing at the bit to see some real European bike racing. The 2009 European calendar officially opens this weekend in France with the 26th GP La Marsellaise featuring 17 teams lining up for a 136.8km circuit on Sunday. The loop course around Marseille in southern France tackles some local climbs, including the Col de la Gineste, hard enough to give the adventurous rider a chance to escape the clutches of the main pack. The finish won’t be at Marseille’s glamorous Vieux-Port due to local roadwork and has been moved out toward the university.

Reigning Olympic road champion Samuel Sánchez is keeping his goals close to home in 2009. Instead of making a run at improving on his seventh place performance in last year’s Tour de France (now sixth, following Bernard Kohl’s disqualification), the Euskaltel-Euskadi rider will instead focus on the Vuelta al País Vasco and make a run for overall victory at the Vuelta a España. His lone goal that will take him beyond the friendly roads of Spain will be the world championships on a challenging course in Mendrisio, Switzerland, in late September.

Alessandro Petacchi (Milram) made it two in a row at the Vuelta a Andalucía-Ruta del Sol while race leader Pablo Lastras (Caisse d’Epargne) stayed in the driver’s seat with just one stage to go. A five-man breakaway was reeled in just in time for the sprinters to take over, with Petacchi making easy work of Borut Bozihc (Cycle Collstrop) to claim the 173.5km march from La Guardia de Jaén to Ecija.