2015 Vuelta a Andalucía

2015 Vuelta a Andalucía 18–22 February 2015 6 854.3 km 2014 2016 21h 21' 14" Chris Froome red GBR SKY 2015 Alberto Contador ESP TTS 2015 Beñat Intxausti ESP MOV 2015 Chris Froome blue GBR SKY 2015 Pello Bilbao green ESP CJR 2015 Simon Geschke white GER GIA 2015 SKY 2015 Critérium du Dauphiné 2013 - 4e étape (clm) - 3 (cropped).JPG 200 Chris Froome, winner of the 2015 Vuelta a Andalucía The 2015 Vuelta a Andalucía (also known as the Ruta del Sol) was the 61st running of the Vuelta a Andalucía cycling stage race. It was rated as a 2.1 event on the 2015 UCI Europe Tour and was held from 18 to 22 February 2015, in the Andalusia region of southern Spain. Although the race lasted five days, there were six stages, with the first day split between two stages. http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Vuelta_a_Andalucia_Ruta_Ciclista_Del_Sol_2015 Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista Del Sol 2015 - General Classification 15 February 2015 ProCyclingStats The previous three editions of the Vuelta a Andalucía had been won by Alejandro Valverde (MOV 2015), but he chose to begin his season at the 2015 Tour of Oman instead. Chris Froome (SKY 2015) and Alberto Contador (TTS 2015) both chose to begin their 2015 seasons in Andalusia. Nairo Quintana (MOV 2015) also intended to start his season at this race, but he pulled out following a crash. The race was closely contested by Contador and Froome. Contador took the lead in the race after the split first stage, beating Froome by eight seconds in the individual time trial. He then increased his lead in the general classification by winning the summit finish on stage 3. Froome, however, won the second summit finish on stage 4 to take the lead of the race by a two-second margin. He was able to defend this lead to the end of the race, so winning his first stage race since the previous May. http://www.procyclingstats.com/rider.php?id=140869&c=3&statistic=pro_wins Christopher Froome 24 February 2015 ProCyclingStats Froome also won the points classification, and his team won the team classification, with four of their riders in the top 10 overall. The mountains classification was won by Pello Bilbao (CJR 2015) on the final stage. Three stages of the race were won by the MOV 2015, two of them for Juan José Lobato and one for Javier Moreno, with the remaining stage won by Pim Ligthart (LTB 2015). Preview The Vuelta a Andalucía was a traditional early season race. Many riders in the modern peloton, however, chose to start their seasons in the Middle East rather than in Europe (the 2015 Tour of Oman ran at the same time). In 2015, these included Alejandro Valverde (MOV 2015), who had won the Vuelta a Andalucía in 2012, 2013 and 2014, so he was not present to defend his title. https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/vuelta-a-andalucia-ruta-ciclista-del-sol-2015/preview Contador, Froome headline Andalucía field 24 February 2015 Cyclingnews.com The Vuelta a Andalucía was particularly notable for its difficult, mountainous terrain. The 2015 edition, however, also featured an Individual time trial on the first day. The mountains were particularly difficult, with a summit finish at the Alto de Hazallanas on the third stage and another at Alto de Allanadas the following day. These three stages were seen as being the key to the general classification battle in the race. http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/02/news/contador-froome-ready-clash-ruta-del-sol_361044 Contador, Froome ready to clash at Ruta del Sol 17 February 2015 24 February 2015 Velonews Hood Andrew The 2015 Vuelta a Andalucía was seen as the first 2015 meeting of several Grand Tour riders. In particular, it was considered to be a renewing of the rivalry between Chris Froome (SKY 2015) and Alberto Contador (TTS 2015), both of whom were starting their seasons in Andalusia. Their rivalry had been a notable feature of the 2014 cycling season, especially at the Critérium du Dauphiné and the Vuelta a España. For both riders, this race was preparation for other events in 2015. Froome was targeting his second victory in the Tour de France, while Contador was aiming at victory in both the Tour and the Giro d'Italia. Both riders were targeting victory in the race as a test of their form at the beginning of the season. While the riders were seen as being closely matched in the mountains, it was thought that Froome would have an advantage in the time trial. https://roadcyclinguk.com/racing/previews/ruta-del-sol-2015-chris-froome-alberto-contador-resume-hostilities.html Ruta del Sol 2015: Chris Froome and Alberto Contador resume hostilities 17 February 2015 24 February 2015 Road Cycling UK Henrys Colin Initially, Nairo Quintana (MOV 2015 yes) had also intended to start the race at the beginning of his European season, in preparation for the Tour de France. https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/quintana-to-face-contador-and-froome-at-ruta-del-sol Quintana to face Contador and Froome at Ruta del Sol 29 December 2014 24 February 2015 Cyclingnews.com However, following his participation in the Tour de San Luis, Quintana was involved in a crash at the Colombian National Road Race Championships and pulled out of the Vuelta a Andalucía in order to recuperate. https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/quintana-to-skip-planned-2015-european-debut-race-at-vuelta-a-andaluca Quintana to skip planned 2015 European debut race at Vuelta a Andalucía 13 February 2015 15 February 2015 Cyclingnews.com Fotheringham Alasdair Other general classification contenders at the race included Jean-Christophe Péraud (ALM 2015), Bauke Mollema, Fränk Schleck (both TFR 2015) and Jurgen Van den Broeck (LTB 2015). The favourites for the three likely sprints included John Degenkolb (GIA 2015) and Tyler Farrar (MTN 2015). Teams 22 teams were selected to take part in the 2015 event, including 10 UCI WorldTeams.https://www.cyclingnews.com/features/2015-vuelta-a-andalucia-ruta-ciclista-del-sol-start-list/ 2015 Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista Del Sol start list Cyclingnews.com Immediate Media Company 12 February 2015 16 March 2021 22em MOV 2015 SKY 2015 CJR 2015 TTS 2015 LTB 2015 FDJ 2015 GIA 2015 ALM 2015 TFR 2015 IAM 2015 RAB 2015 MTN 2015 WGG 2015 EUC 2015 TSV 2015 RVL 2015 ROO 2015 COF 2015 UHC 2015 COL 2015 CCC 2015 BUR 2015 Route Andalucía-loc-Spain inset.png 260 174 1 right Locations of stage finishes in Andalusia Stage 1a, La Rábida to Hinojos Stage 1a 50 101 Stage 1b, Coria del Río to Coria del Río Stage 2 66 82 Stage 2, Utrera to Lucena Stage 2 137 76 Stage 3, Motril to Alto de Hazallanas Stage 3 167 89 Stage 4, Maracena to Alto de Allanadas Stage 4 162 69 Stage 5, Montilla to Alhaurín de la Torre Stage 5 126 115 +List of stages Stage Date Course Distance Type Winner1a18 FebruaryLa Rábida to Hinojos118.3 km 0 onFile:Hillystage.svgHilly stage Pim Ligthart NED1bCoria del Río to Coria del Río8.2 km 0 onFile:Time Trial.svgIndividual time trial Javier Moreno ESP219 FebruaryUtrera to Lucena194.7 km 0 onFile:Hillystage.svgHilly stageJuan José Lobato ESP320 FebruaryMotril to Alto de Hazallanas159.8 km 0 onFile:Mountainstage.svgMountain stageAlberto Contador ESP421 FebruaryMaracena to Alto de Allanadas202.4 km 0 onFile:Mountainstage.svgMountain stageChris Froome GBR522 FebruaryMontilla to Alhaurín de la Torre170.9 km 0 onFile:Hillystage.svgHilly stageJuan José Lobato ESP Stages Stage 1a 18 February 2015 — La Rábida to Hinojos, 118.3 km on Stage 1 was split into two parts: a road stage in the morning and an individual time trial in the afternoon. The morning stage was held over a 118.3 km 0 off on route from La Rábida to Hinojos. The first part of the course was flat, but the last part was hillier, with the first classified climb of the race and a gradual incline to the finish.Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista Del Sol 2015 - Stage 1a http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Vuelta_a_Andalucia_Ruta_Ciclista_Del_Sol_2015_Stage_1-profiles ProCyclingStats 19 February 2015 thumb|Pim Ligthart, winner of stage 1a The early break was formed by Reinier Honig (ROO 2015), Christopher Jones (UHC 2015), Ibai Salas (BUR 2015) and Aleksandr Komin (RVL 2015).Ligthart wins Vuelta a Andalucia opener https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/vuelta-a-andalucia-ruta-ciclista-del-sol-2015/stage-1a/results Cyclingnews.com 19 February 2015 18 February 2015 Their lead never exceeded four minutes, thanks to chasing efforts by the MOV 2015, and they were caught with approximately 40 km 0 on remaining.Ligthart wins Ruta del Sol opener in Spain http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/02/news/road/ligthart-wins-ruta-del-sol-opener-in-spain_361115 Velonews 19 February 2015 18 February 2015 Sander Helven (TSV 2015) also put in an attack but was unable to escape from the pack. SKY 2015 led the peloton across the categorised climb and intermediate sprint point,Froome avoids crashes in Spain http://www.teamsky.com/teamsky/home/article/25701 INS 2015 19 February 2015 18 February 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150219112710/http://www.teamsky.com/teamsky/home/article/25701 19 February 2015 dead dmy-all and it seemed likely that the stage would end in a sprint. Crashes, however, eliminated a large number of riders (including all but one of the LTB 2015 team) and split the peloton, so none of the sprinters' teams were able to control the conclusion of the race. Pim Ligthart (the one remaining rider from LTB 2015 yes) attacked with approximately 1.5 km off remaining and was able to hold off the chasing pack. Fábio Silvestre (TFR 2015) and Grega Bole (CCC 2015) finished second and third. Ligthart took the overall lead of the race and the points competition, while SKY 2015 yes took the lead in the mountains classification (with Kanstantsin Sivtsov), the intermediate sprints competition (with Peter Kennaugh) and the team classification. Fränk Schleck (TFR 2015 yes) was among the riders affected by the crashes, suffering a muscular injury to his quadriceps, and was forced to abandon the race.Stokes Shane Updated: Deep muscular injury for Fränk Schleck after Vuelta a Andalucia crash http://cyclingtips.com.au/2015/02/frank-schleck-facing-medical-examination-after-being-forced-out-of-vuelta-a-andalucia/ Cyclingtips.com.au 19 February 2015 19 February 2015 Stage 1a result and General classification after Stage 1ahttps://www.skysports.com/more-sports/cycling/news/12040/9720587/ruta-del-sol-alberto-contador-leads-after-first-day-with-chris-froome-fourth Ruta del Sol: Alberto Contador leads after first day with Chris Froome fourth Sky Sports Sky UK 18 February 2015 16 March 2021 1 Pim Ligthart NED LTB 2015 3h 01' 44" 20px20px 2 Fábio Silvestre POR TFS 2015 + 2" 3 Grega Bole SLO CCC 2015 + 2" 4 Michael Van Staeyen BEL COF 2015 + 2" 5 Tyler Farrar USA MTN 2015 + 2" 6 Mirko Selvaggi ITA WGG 2015 + 2" 7 Edward Theuns BEL TSV 2015 + 2" 8 Maciej Paterski POL CCC 2015 + 2" 9 Daniele Ratto ITA UHC 2015 + 2" 10 Sjoerd van Ginneken NED ROO 2015 + 2" Stage 1b 18 February 2015 — Coria del Río to Coria del Río, 8.2 km on, individual time trial (ITT) The afternoon stage was an 8.2 km 0 off on individual time trial in Coria del Río.Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista Del Sol 2015 - Stage 1b (ITT) http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Vuelta_a_Andalucia_Ruta_Ciclista_Del_Sol_2015_Stage_32-profiles ProCyclingStats 19 February 2015 Unusually for a time trial, the roads were in poor condition and were very dusty.Moreno wins Ruta time trial, Contador takes time off Froome http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/02/news/road/moreno-wins-ruta-time-trial-contador-takes-time-off-froome_361168 Velonews.com 19 February 2015 18 February 2015 The stage was won by Javier Moreno (MOV 2015), with a time of 9' 51" – his first victory in an individual time trial.Javier Moreno http://www.procyclingstats.com/rider.php?id=140939&c=3&statistic=pro_wins ProCyclingStats 19 February 2015 Wilco Kelderman (RAB 2015) was two seconds back in second place and Jérôme Coppel (IAM 2015) four seconds back in third.Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista Del Sol 2015 - Stage 1b (ITT) http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Vuelta_a_Andalucia_Ruta_Ciclista_Del_Sol_2015_Stage_32 ProCyclingStats 19 February 2015 Pim Ligthart lost his race lead; Alberto Contador (TTS 2015) took the red jersey with Bob Jungels (TFR 2015) on the same time.Fletcher Patrick Contador takes race lead in Vuelta Andalucia time trial https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/vuelta-a-andalucia-ruta-ciclista-del-sol-2015/stage-1b/results Cyclingnews.com 19 February 2015 Chris Froome (SKY 2015) finished eight seconds behind Contador in what was the first significant meeting of the two favourites for the 2015 Tour de France.Hood Andrew Froome ‘blows out cobwebs’ in Ruta del Sol TT http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/02/news/froome-blows-cobwebs-ruta-del-sol-tt_361172 Velonews 19 February 2015 18 February 2015 Stage 1b result 1 Javier Moreno ESP MOV 2015 9' 51" 2 Wilco Kelderman NED RAB 2015 + 2" 3 Jérôme Coppel FRA IAM 2015 + 4" 4 Alberto Contador ESP SAX 2015 + 6" 5 Bob Jungels LUX TFS 2015 + 6" 6 Beñat Intxausti ESP MOV 2015 + 7" 7 Gorka Izagirre ESP MOV 2015 + 11" 8 Jérôme Pineau FRA IAM 2015 + 11" 9 Vasil Kiryienka BLR SKY 2015 + 13" 10 Chris Froome GBR SKY 2015 + 14"General classification after Stage 1b 1 Alberto Contador ESP SAX 2015 3h 11' 43" 20px 2 Bob Jungels LUX TFS 2015 + 0" 3 Beñat Intxausti ESP MOV 2015 + 1" 4 Chris Froome GBR SKY 2015 + 8" 5 Sylvain Chavanel FRA IAM 2015 + 8" 6 Peter Kennaugh GBR SKY 2015 + 12" 20px 7 Ivan Basso ITA SAX 2015 + 17" 8 Edward Theuns BEL TSV 2015 + 18" 9 John Degenkolb GER GIA 2015 + 20" 10 Michael Valgren DEN SAX 2015 + 20" Stage 2 19 February 2015 — Utrera to Lucena, 194.7 km on Stage 2 took the riders 194.7 km 1 off, from Utrera to Lucena. The first part of the course was flat, but it became increasingly hilly towards the end of the race. The one classified climb of the day came within the final 10 km 0 off, before the riders tackled an uphill section approaching the finish.Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista Del Sol 2015 - Stage 2 http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Vuelta_a_Andalucia_Ruta_Ciclista_Del_Sol_2015_Stage_2_General_Classificatio-profiles ProCyclingStats 19 February 2015 thumb|Juan José Lobato, winner of stage 2 There was a five-man breakaway early in the stage, formed of Nicolas Dougall (MTN 2015), Adrian Honkisz (CCC 2015), Aleksandr Komin (RVL 2015), Pirmin Lang (IAM 2015) and Sjoerd van Ginneken (ROO 2015). They gained a lead of about five minutes, but were caught with 20 km 0 on remaining, before the beginning of the final climb.Fletcher Patrick Vuelta a Andalucia: Lobato beats Degenkolb to win stage 2 https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/vuelta-a-andalucia-ruta-ciclista-del-sol-2015/stage-2/results Cyclingnews.com 19 February 2015 19 February 2015 There were further attacks on the climb, principally from Nicolas Edet (COF 2015), who won the mountains classification points at the summit. Carlos Quintero (COL 2015), Mirko Selvaggi (WGG 2015) and Peter Kennaugh (SKY 2015) all attacked on the descent, but were controlled by the peloton. Race leader Alberto Contador (TTS 2015) also attacked on the run to the finish, without success.Windsor Richard J-J Lobato wins Ruta del Sol stage two, as Froome moves to third in GC https://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/j-j-lobato-wins-ruta-del-sol-stage-two-as-froome-moves-to-third-in-gc-158482 Cycling Weekly 19 February 2015 19 February 2015 John Degenkolb was the favourite to win from the remaining group, but he was surprised by a sprint from 300 m -1 off out by Juan José Lobato (MOV 2015). Degenkolb attempted to chase Lobato, but Lobato won by several bike lengths for his second win of 2015. Bob Jungels (TFR 2015) was in second place before the stage, but could not follow the pace on the final climb and so dropped out of the top 10. Beñat Intxausti (MOV 2015 yes) moved up to second, while Chris Froome (SKY 2015) in third place was one of four SKY 2015 yes riders in the top 10.Juan Jose Lobato sprints to Ruta del Sol stage 2 victory http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/02/news/road/juan-jose-lobato-sprints-ruta-del-sol-stage-2-victory_361256 Velonews 19 February 2015 19 February 2015 Stage 2 result 1 Juan José Lobato ESP MOV 2015 4h 51' 57" 2 John Degenkolb GER GIA 2015 + 0" 3 Grega Bole SLO CCC 2015 + 0" 4 Arthur Vichot FRA FDJ 2015 + 0" 5 Eduard Prades ESP CJR 2015 + 0" 6 Daniele Ratto ITA UHC 2015 + 0" 7 Pello Bilbao ESP CJR 2015 + 0" 8 Edward Theuns BEL TSV 2015 + 0" 9 Huub Duyn NED ROO 2015 + 0" 10 Oliver Naesen BEL TSV 2015 + 0"General classification after Stage 2 1 Alberto Contador ESP SAX 2015 8h 03' 40" 20px 2 Beñat Intxausti ESP MOV 2015 + 1" 3 Chris Froome GBR SKY 2015 + 8" 4 Sylvain Chavanel FRA IAM 2015 + 8" 5 Peter Kennaugh GBR SKY 2015 + 12" 6 Ivan Basso ITA SAX 2015 + 17" 7 Edward Theuns BEL TSV 2015 + 18" 8 John Degenkolb GER GIA 2015 + 20" 9 Kanstantsin Sivtsov BLR SKY 2015 + 21" 20px 10 Mikel Nieve ESP SKY 2015 + 28" Stage 3 20 February 2015 — Motril to Alto de Hazallanas, 159.8 km on Stage three was a 159.8 km 0 off on route from Motril to Alto de Hazallanas, the first summit finish of the race. It was regarded beforehand as the first major confrontation between Alberto Contador (TTS 2015) and Chris Froome (SKY 2015).Benson Daniel Vuelta a Andalucia: Contador beats Froome on stage 3 https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/vuelta-a-andalucia-ruta-ciclista-del-sol-2015/stage-3/results Cyclingnews.com 20 February 2015 20 February 2015 There were two climbs in the first 95 km 0 off of the stage, before a long flat section leading up to the final climb. The road got steeper with approximately 15 km 0 off remaining, before the climb officially started with 8 km 0 off to the finish line.Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista Del Sol 2015 - Stage 3 http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Vuelta_a_Andalucia_Ruta_Ciclista_Del_Sol_2015_Stage_3_Alto_de_Hazallanas-profiles ProCyclingStats 20 February 2015Contador extends overall Ruta del Sol lead with stage 3 mountaintop win http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/02/news/road/contador-extends-overall-ruta-del-sol-lead-stage-3-mountaintop-win_361360 Velonews 20 February 2015 20 February 2015 thumb|left|Alberto Contador, who won his first race of 2015 in stage 3 TTS 2015 yes controlled the peloton through most of the day and onto the early slopes of the final climb, reducing the group to 40 riders as they approached the most difficult part. Contador attacked in the early part of the climb, with support from his teammate Ivan Basso. At the moment of Contador's attack, the peloton was in confusion and Froome was not in the main chasing group. Basso and Contador rode away from the rest of the field. The main chase was led by Romain Bardet (ALM 2015), Peter Kennaugh (SKY 2015), Beñat Intxausti (MOV 2015) and Daniel Navarro (COF 2015). After Contador had left Basso behind, he built a lead of 30 to 40 seconds over the group behind, riding without a power meter because of interference from the television motorcycles. Kennaugh was leading this group on behalf of Chris Froome, who had bridged over.Ruta del Sol: Alberto Contador beats Chris Froome to victory on stage three https://www1.skysports.com/cycling/news/12040/9723644/ruta-del-sol-alberto-contador-beats-chris-froome-to-victory-on-stage-three Sky Sports 20 February 2015 20 February 2015Fotheringham Alasdair Contador's 'test' nets first win of the season in Vuelta a Andalucia https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/contadors-test-nets-first-win-of-the-season-in-vuelta-a-andalucia Cyclingnews.com 20 February 2015 20 February 2015 With four kilometres remaining, Froome set off alone in pursuit of Contador, repeating scenes from the 2014 Vuelta a España. Contador won the stage ahead of Froome, who had partially closed the gap, and was now just 19 seconds behind; Bardet was over a minute further back in third place. Contador therefore extended his overall lead to 27 seconds over Froome, still one of four SKY 2015 nolink riders in the top ten. Contador and Froome, first and second now in general classification, had put significant time into all other competitors. Both leading riders declared themselves pleased with their performances early in the season. Contador was optimistic about retaining his overall lead to the end of the race, while Froome pointed to Contador's plans to ride the 2015 Giro d'Italia as a reason for his better form.Froome happy despite losing to Contador at Vuelta a Andalucia https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/froome-happy-despite-losing-to-contador-at-vuelta-a-andalucia Cyclingnews.com 20 February 2015 Stage 3 result 1 Alberto Contador ESP SAX 2015 4h 19' 15" 20px 2 Chris Froome GBR SKY 2015 + 19" 3 Romain Bardet FRA ALM 2015 + 1' 39" 4 Beñat Intxausti ESP MOV 2015 + 1' 58" 5 Mikel Nieve ESP SKY 2015 + 2' 02" 6 Wilco Kelderman NED RAB 2015 + 2' 05" 7 Merhawi Kudus ERI MTN 2015 + 2' 15" 8 Peter Kennaugh GBR SKY 2015 + 2' 16" 9 Sébastien Reichenbach SUI IAM 2015 + 2' 30" 10 Sergio Pardilla ESP CJR 2015 + 2' 42"General classification after Stage 3Richard Windsor https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/latest-news/contador-wins-ruta-del-sol-stage-three-and-extends-overall-lead-158806 Contador wins Ruta del Sol stage three and extends overall lead Cycling Weekly TI Media 20 February 2015 16 March 2021 1 Alberto Contador ESP SAX 2015 12h 22' 55" 20px20px 2 Chris Froome GBR SKY 2015 + 27" 3 Beñat Intxausti ESP MOV 2015 + 1' 59" 4 Romain Bardet FRA ALM 2015 + 2' 13" 5 Peter Kennaugh GBR SKY 2015 + 2' 28" 6 Mikel Nieve ESP SKY 2015 + 2' 30" 7 Kanstantsin Sivtsov BLR SKY 2015 + 3' 19" 8 Sylvain Chavanel FRA IAM 2015 + 3' 41" 9 Nicolas Edet FRA COF 2015 + 4' 10" 10 Gorka Izagirre ESP MOV 2015 + 4' 15" Stage 4 21 February 2015 — Maracena to Alto de Allanadas, 202.4 km on thumb|Chris Froome, who moved into the lead after victory in stage 4 Stage 4 was another summit finish, with the climb of Alto de Allanadas coming after 202.4 km 0 off of racing. There were several small climbs before the steep 4.4 km 1 off on climb to the finish, that included sections of around 20% incline. The difficulty was increased by tricky weather conditions, including fog, rain and cold temperatures.Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista Del Sol - Stage 4 http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Vuelta_a_Andalucia_Ruta_Ciclista_Del_Sol_2015_Stage_4_Alto_de_Allanadas-profiles ProCyclingStats 21 February 2015Froome seizes overall lead at Vuelta a Andalucia https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/vuelta-a-andalucia-ruta-ciclista-del-sol-2015/stage-4/results Cyclingnews.com 21 February 2015 21 February 2015Chris Froome drops Alberto Contador, takes lead at Ruta del Sol http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/02/news/chris-froome-drops-alberto-contador-takes-lead-ruta-del-sol_361463 Velonews 21 February 2015 The early part of the stage featured a breakaway of five riders: Edward Theuns (TSV 2015), Romain Sicard (EUC 2015), Hugh Carthy (CJR 2015), Simon Geschke (GIA 2015) and Mirko Selvaggi (WGG 2015). With 10 km 0 off remaining, only Geschke and Selvaggi were left. As SKY 2015 took up the chase at the foot of the climb, Selvaggi was on his own. Nicolas Roche SKY 2015 yes did a long spell riding on the front of the lead group on behalf of Froome; after this, their teammate Peter Kennaugh made a solo attack that brought Selvaggi back. Another Sky rider, Mikel Nieve, then put in a brief attack, before Froome attacked on one of the steepest parts of the climb.Fotheringham Alasdair Unexpected triumph for Froome at Vuelta a Andalucia https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/unexpected-triumph-for-froome-at-vuelta-a-andalucia Cyclingnews.com 21 February 2015 Contador was able to stay with Froome for the first 200 m 0 off of his attack, but was then dropped.Puddicombe Stephen Chris Froome wins Ruta del Sol stage four and takes overall lead https://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/chris-froome-wins-ruta-del-sol-stage-four-and-takes-overall-lead-158990 Cycling Weekly 21 February 2015 21 February 2015 Froome then rode solo to the end of the stage, using his power meter to judge his effort, and was able to ride away from Contador. Despite Contador's best efforts, the time gap increased. At the finish line, Froome was 29 seconds ahead of Contador, overturning his 27-second deficit from the start of the stage, thus moving into the overall lead of the race by two seconds.Fortheringham Alasdair Contador: I knew I could lose the leader's jersey https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/contador-i-knew-i-could-lose-the-leaders-jersey Cyclingnews.com 21 February 2015 21 February 2015 Froome took over the lead in both the overall and mountains classifications, while Contador retained his lead in the points competition. Stage 4 result 1 Chris Froome GBR SKY 2015 5h 08' 54" 2 Alberto Contador ESP SAX 2015 + 29" 20px 3 Mikel Nieve ESP SKY 2015 + 49" 4 Sylwester Szmyd POL CCC 2015 + 59" 5 Beñat Intxausti ESP MOV 2015 + 1' 00" 6 Wilco Kelderman NED RAB 2015 + 1' 13" 7 Sébastien Reichenbach SUI IAM 2015 + 1' 26" 8 Romain Bardet FRA ALM 2015 + 1' 27" 9 Nicolas Edet FRA COF 2015 + 1' 27" 10 Jurgen Van den Broeck BEL LTS 2015 + 1' 38"General classification after Stage 4https://www.skysports.com/more-sports/cycling/news/12040/9725462/chris-froome-takes-lead-of-ruta-del-sol-after-beating-alberto-contador-on-stage-four Chris Froome takes lead of Ruta del Sol after beating Alberto Contador on stage four Sky Sports Sky UK 21 February 2015 16 March 2021 1 Chris Froome GBR SKY 2015 17h 32' 16" 20px20px 2 Alberto Contador ESP SAX 2015 + 2" 20px 3 Beñat Intxausti ESP MOV 2015 + 2' 32" 4 Mikel Nieve ESP SKY 2015 + 2' 52" 5 Romain Bardet FRA ALM 2015 + 3' 13" 6 Peter Kennaugh GBR SKY 2015 + 3' 50" 7 Kanstantsin Sivtsov BLR SKY 2015 + 5' 07" 8 Nicolas Edet FRA COF 2015 + 5' 10" 9 Sylvain Chavanel FRA IAM 2015 + 5' 30" 10 Sergio Pardilla ESP CJR 2015 + 5' 44" Stage 5 22 February 2015 — Montilla to Alhaurín de la Torre, 170.9 km on The final stage of the race was a 170.9 km 1 off on route from Montilla to Alhaurín de la Torre. There was one classified climb on the route, which was fairly hilly throughout. The final part, however, was mostly flat or downhill until the last kilometre, which was uphill.Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista Del Sol 2015 - Stage 5 http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Vuelta_a_Andalucia_Ruta_Ciclista_Del_Sol_2015_Stage_5_Alhaurin_de_la_Torre-profiles ProCyclingStats 24 February 2015Fotheringham Alasdair Froome seals morale boosting victory over Contador in Andalucia https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/froome-seals-morale-boosting-victory-over-contador-in-andalucia Cyclingnews.com 24 February 2015 22 February 2015 thumb|Pello Bilbao, who won the mountains classification with points on stage 5 The day's breakaway was formed by Johnny Hoogerland (ROO 2015), Pello Bilbao (CJR 2015), Songezo Jim, Merhawi Kudus (both MTN 2015), Rodolfo Torres (COL 2015), Maciej Paterski (CCC 2015) and Víctor Martín (BUR 2015). They were unable to form a large advantage, as MOV 2015 and GIA 2015 controlled the race on behalf of Juan José Lobato and John Degenkolb respectively. 7 km 0 off from the end of the stage, Paterski was the last rider to be caught by the peloton, then led by TTS 2015. With 1.2 km 1 off remaining, Edward Theuns (TSV 2015) attacked and was able to form a gap back to the peloton, but he was unable to hold on to win the stage. Lobato attacked from the peloton, with Degenkolb following, and was able to take a clear victory. Degenkolb was a second back, with Sylvain Chavanel (IAM 2015) leading the peloton across the finishing line a further second behind.Vuelta a Andalucia: Lobato scorches to victory on final stage https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/vuelta-a-andalucia-ruta-ciclista-del-sol-2015/stage-5/results Cyclingnews.com 24 February 2015 22 February 2015 Froome and Contador were both towards the front of the peloton in the finale: Contador was prepared to attack if possible, but the climb was not hard enough to allow him to form an advantage. Froome finished sixth on the stage, with Contador on the same time in ninth, so the general classification was unchanged.Fotheringham Alasdair Contador: I didn't expect to be going so strongly https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/contador-i-didnt-expect-to-be-going-so-strongly Cyclingnews.com 24 February 2015 22 February 2015 Froome lost his mountains leadership to Bilbao, who won the sprint at the only climb of the day. Froome, however, did win the points classification by one point ahead of Contador. Stage 5 resultLarry Hickmott https://www.velouk.net/2015/02/22/report-ruta-ciclista-del-sol/ Report – Ruta Ciclista Del Sol VeloUK LH Publishing 22 February 2015 16 March 2021 1 Juan José Lobato ESP MOV 2015 3h 48' 56" 2 John Degenkolb GER GIA 2015 + 1" 3 Sylvain Chavanel FRA IAM 2015 + 2" 4 Pim Ligthart NED LTB 2015 + 2" 5 Grega Bole SLO CCC 2015 + 2" 6 Chris Froome GBR SKY 2015 + 2" 20px 7 Moreno Hofland NED RAB 2015 + 2" 8 Jan Bakelants BEL ALM 2015 + 2" 9 Alberto Contador ESP SAX 2015 + 2" 20px 10 Nicolas Edet FRA COF 2015 + 2"Final general classification 1 Chris Froome GBR SKY 2015 21h 21' 14" 20px20px 2 Alberto Contador ESP SAX 2015 + 2" 3 Beñat Intxausti ESP MOV 2015 + 2' 38" 4 Mikel Nieve ESP SKY 2015 + 3' 05" 5 Romain Bardet FRA ALM 2015 + 3' 13" 6 Peter Kennaugh GBR SKY 2015 + 4' 03" 7 Nicolas Edet FRA COF 2015 + 5' 10" 8 Kanstantsin Sivtsov BLR SKY 2015 + 5' 17" 9 Sylvain Chavanel FRA IAM 2015 + 5' 30" 10 Bob Jungels LUX TFS 2015 + 5' 50" Classification leadership table There were four major classifications in the 2015 Vuelta a Andalucía. The first and most important classification was the general classification. This was calculated by adding together the times of each rider cumulatively across the six stages. There were no bonus seconds awarded. If two riders were tied on the same time, they would be differentiated by the precise time recorded in the individual time trial. The leader of the competition after each stage was awarded a red jersey; the leader of the general classification after the final stage was considered the winner of the race. The second classification was the points classification. After each stage or split stage, the top 15 riders were awarded a number of points (25 for the stage winner, 20 for the rider in second place, down to 1 point for the rider in 15th place). The rider with the most points at the end of the race was the winner of the classification. The points leader wore a blue jersey. The mountains classification was determined by points won at the categorised climbs on the route. There were three categories of climbs: the most difficult climbs won ten points for the first rider to the summit; the winners of second category climbs won six; the winners of third category climbs won three. The rider with the most points was the mountains winner and won the green jersey. There was also an intermediate sprints classification. At each individual sprint, there were points awarded for the first, second and third riders across the line (3, 2 and 1 points respectively). The rider with the most points gained at these intermediate sprints was the winner of the sprints classification, which earned him the white jersey. The teams classification was calculated by taking the best three riders on each team on each stage and adding their times together. The team with the lowest cumulative time was the winner of the classification. There were also three minor prizes awarded after the final stage. There were trophies to the best Spanish rider and the best Andalusian rider in the general classification. Finally, here was a trophy for the winner of the combination classification. This was calculated by adding up each rider's position in the general, points and mountains classification. The rider with the lowest number won.Libro de Ruta http://www.vueltaandalucia.es/Descargas/libro-de-ruta.pdf vueltaandalucia.es 24 February 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150224191549/http://www.vueltaandalucia.es/Descargas/libro-de-ruta.pdf 24 February 2015 Stage WinnerGeneral classification25px|link=|alt=Mountains classification25px|link=|alt=Sprints classification25px|link=|alt=Points classification25px|link=|alt=Teams classification 1a Pim Ligthart Pim Ligthart Kanstantsin Sivtsov Peter Kennaugh Pim Ligthart SKY 2015 1b Javier Moreno Alberto Contador 2 Juan José Lobato Sjoerd van Ginneken Grega Bole 3 Alberto Contador Pello BilbaoPieter JacobsAlberto Contador 4Chris Froome Chris Froome Chris FroomeSimon Geschke 5 Juan José Lobato Pello BilbaoChris Froome Final Chris Froome Pello Bilbao Simon GeschkeChris Froome SKY 2015 Minor classifications Classification Winner Team Best Spanish rider Alberto Contador TTS 2015 Andaluz http://www.vueltaandalucia.es/clasificaciones/Andaluz.pdf vueltaandalucia.es 24 February 2015 PDF https://web.archive.org/web/20150225001420/http://www.vueltaandalucia.es/clasificaciones/Andaluz.pdf 2015-02-25 dead Best Andalusian rider Luis Ángel Maté COF 2015 Combination Chris Froome SKY 2015 Combinada http://www.vueltaandalucia.es/clasificaciones/Combinada.pdf vueltaandalucia.es 24 February 2015 PDF https://web.archive.org/web/20150225002037/http://www.vueltaandalucia.es/clasificaciones/Combinada.pdf 2015-02-25 dead References External links Vuelta a Andalucia Vuelta a Andalucia Category:Vuelta a Andalucía by year Category:February 2015 sports events in Spain Category:2015 in Andalusia