Protests in Spain reduce Ruta del Sol from five stages to single 4.95-km time trial

After canceling Wednesday and Thursday’s stages because of a lack of police presence due to farmers’ protests, the organizers of the 2.Pro-rated 70th Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista Del Sol decided to also cancel the weekend’s last two stages and hold only Friday’s 4.95-km time trial in Alcaudete. Maxim Van Gils of Lotto Dstny promptly won the short chrono and the race.

Riders had been going for training rides in lieu of racing, but now they will simply head home. Organizers had first considered changing the route of the weekends stages to address the police shortage, but opted to cancel Saturday and Sunday instead.

Van Gils was 10 seconds faster than Juan Ayuso and Antonio Tiberi, taking the overall prize.

A race in which Alejandro Valverde holds the record for most GC wins at five, Tadej Pogačar was last season’s victor.

Farmers in countries like Spain, Italy, Belgium, Poland and Hungary are protesting European Union farming policies and demanding an end to rising prices.