Chloe Glover (Reporter)
ONE of the world’s toughest cycling races is coming back Andalucia this year.
Almost one quarter of the brutal 3297.7km long La Vuelta will take place between August 30 and September 3 in the region, which was entirely missed off the contest’s route last year.
Coin and Motril are among the starting locations for the five gruelling Andaluz stages, which will also pass through the cities of Malaga, Sevilla and Granada and the mountains
The thrilling 21 stage race will this year start in Nimes in south France on August 19 before making its way down the eastern coast of Spain.
It will hit Andalucia on August 30, when over 200 cyclists will ride from Lorca in Murcia to Almeria’s Calar Alto Observatorio in the 11th stage.
They will set off from Motril the following day to Antequera’s dolmenes before tackling Andalucia’s longest leg at 197km from Coin to Sevilla on September 1.
The two toughest tests will be the following races from Ecija to Sierra de la Pandara and Alcala la Real to Alto Hoya de la Mora in Sierra Nevada, when riders will climb up to
1,675m each day.
They will then fly to the Pyrenees before heading to Madrid for the final stage on September 10.
