Inside the Ruta del Sol

Take an inside look at the early season Spanish race as riders and teams prepare for a stage on the Ruta del Sol. Photos by Chris Catchpole

(Image credit: Chris Catchpole)

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Maxime Monfort (Lotto-Soudal) gets a wheel change before the stage two start
(Image credit: Chris Catchpole)

As early season races go, the Ruta del Sol is certainly a toughie. A split stage on day one with a road race and a time trial, as well as two category one summit finishes later in the race, riders have little time to find their race legs if they're hoping to pull out a result .

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Richard Windsor

Follow on Twitter: @richwindy

Richard is digital editor of Cycling Weekly. Joining the team in 2013, Richard became editor of the website in 2014 and coordinates site content and strategy, leading the news team in coverage of the world's biggest races and working with the tech editor to deliver comprehensive buying guides, reviews, and the latest product news.

An occasional racer, Richard spends most of his time preparing for long-distance touring rides these days, or getting out to the Surrey Hills on the weekend on his Specialized Tarmac SL6 (with an obligatory pub stop of course).