Andalucía bike race

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Stages

Andalucia Bike Race, the Spanish MTB grand tour

Ranked as one of the four major MTB stage races worldwide.

Andalucía Bike Race is positioned as an international event since its inception and is now the only MTB stage race of the Spanish calendar rated as first class (S1) by the International Cycling Union (UCI). A distinction only shared with another competition worldwide.

Last season Andalucía Bike Race was already ranked as one of the five best MTB stage races. For the 2015 season, it is considered one of the top five of the twenty that make up the calendar approved by the UCI, and only three belong to a higher category (Hors Catégorie - SHC).

To be part of the UCI calendar means guaranteeing a quality and security standard for the athletes, no matter if they are amateur, semi-professionals or professionals. Besides the infrastructure, course marking, commissaires, police and health deployment, prizes, etc., the UCI events entail anti-doping controls carried out by official bodies.

The route with most climbing of Andalucia Bike Race

422 kilometres and 13.856 metres of vertical climbing make up its six stages

The fifth edition of Andalucía Bike Race will show the route with the most elevation of its history. The mountainous orography of the four stages in Jaén have contributed to increase the total amount of climbing of the race, which elevation will decrease as the days go by. The stages have been set in alternating order, combining long and short stages in order to relief the riders.

The 2015 Andalucía Bike Race will kick off with a very long stage due to its distance and elevation (maximum for this edition in both cases), which will serve the riders to find their pace and place in the huge peloton. More than 90 kilometres and more than 3.200 metres of positive elevation, which will take place in their vast majority along tracks surrounding the Quiebrajano dam, a spectacular location.

The second stage will be similar to that from last year and will introduce long stretches of singletracks, giving a glimpse of the race’s essence. As the days pass, the riders will face more amount of singletrack. Barely 60 kilometres but will build up more than 2.300 metres of climbing along the Neveral.

Before leaving the capital of Jaén, riders will face a stage with great unprecedented stretches, completing 74 kilometres and 3.000 metres of vertical elevation, having climbed both faces of Jabalcuz and having gone along La Grana.

The transition stage between Jaén and Córdoba will be hosted in Mancha Real. The participants will face a short but intense stage. Nearly 53 kilometres and nearly 2.150 metres of climbing, with a lot of flowy singletracks that will make them settle that night in Córdoba with a big smile.

The last two stages will be raced in the Córdoba capital. The first of them, and fifth day of the race, will show a great part of Sierra Morena, since nearly all its corners are ridden. Nearly 90 kilometres, very uneven, that will build up more than 2.000 metres of elevation gain.

That last stage will be the farewell but it will be an enjoyable and happy goodbye, following many of the best single tracks in the area. Barely 54 kilometres and 1.100 metres of elevation to enjoy each one of them. Cerro Muriano will be reached along an unprecedented stretch, and after having ridden its surroundings, riders will descend to connect with the extraordinary Santo Domingo singletracks, before crossing the sixth and final finish line of Andalucía Bike Race 2015.

The venues

The fifth edition of Andalucía Bike Race will have Jaén, Mancha Real and Córdoba as main venues. The first three stages will start and finish in the city of Jaén and will be based at the IFEJA facilities. The fourth stage will take place around the countryside of Mancha Real, a village 20 kilometres East from Jaén (twenty minute drive). The last two stages will settle in the city of Córdoba, 130 kilometres West away from Mancha Real (one and half hour drive).

All stages will be loops, starting and ending at the same site, so riders will be able to park their vehicles close to the start and finish area.

Riders are recommended to stay in Jaén until the morning of the fourth stage (Thursday 25th of February 2015). Once the stage is over, drive to Córdoba, where they should remain until they return home.

Prize equality

Prize money increased to almost 17.000 €, above the minimum set by the UCI, to restore equality between elite women and men. They will also compete for UCI points, necessary to qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games. An excellent incentive for Spanish and foreign athletes!

Registration

The fifth edition will offer 800 slots

Spain’s best mountain biking stage race has open its registration period, which will be available until the 29th of January 2015 or until its 800 slots (400 teams) sell out. The competition will continue to be raced in couples and will start on the 22nd of February 2015 in Jaén. After six intense marathon stages, it will end on the 27th in Córdoba.

Three registration periods have been stablished, maintaining the basic price (390 € per person), reducing the highest (now 510 € per person) and creating a new intermediate one (420 € per person):

• First period: until the 2nd of December 2014 = 780 €/team.
• Second period: from the 3rd of December 2014 until the 7th of January 2015 = 840 €/team.
• Third period: from the 8th until 29th of January 2015 = 1.020 €/team.

Another novelty for the fifth edition is the possibility of hiring a Premium pack, designed for those who only want to worry about pedalling and also look for a more personalised treatment. It will have a unique price during the entire registration period and will be limited to sixty riders (thirty teams).

Andalucía Bike Race will also offer a wide variety of services available for all riders; multiple feed stations, guarded bicycle parking, bicycle washing area, mechanical servicing, live coverage, physiotherapy, accommodation, transfers, etc.; as well as numerous gifts and prizes, being the Finisher one, the most coveted.

The additional services can be checked at the official website and can be hired once you have accessed the registration platform, offering more competitive rates if it is done at the same time as the registration for the race.

Accommodation

Besides the registration and additional services, you can now book your accommodation. There’s a wide variety of hotels both in Jaén and in Córdoba. Book it as soon as possible!

We recommend you staying in Jaén from the 21st until the 25th of February 2015. From the evening of the 25th until the 28th of February it is preferable to sleep in Córdoba.

Enter the corresponding tab in the official website’s main menu, fill-in the form and send it to Viajes El Corte Inglés, following the instructions set. If you need any other service for your trip, such as flight tickets or vehicle rental, you can also request it to Viajes El Corte Inglés.

Less than four months remaining for the start of one of the most outstanding mountain biking events in the world!

Andalucia Bike Race faces its fifth edition in 2015

2.000 people from 33 countries have taken part since 2011

In its four year life, Andalucía Bike Race has accomplished significant results that set it as one of the major mountain bike stage races in the World and leader in Spain. Ranked by the International Cycling Union (UCI) as a first class event (since 2013), it has shared out 60.000 € prize money, hosted nearly 2.000 riders from 33 different nationalities, who have covered close to 1.700 kilometres of true mountain biking and overcome 46.000 metres of climbing - like ascending five times mount Everest, on a mountain bike!

23 marathon stages (2013 saw the cancellation of one due to snow) along the Southern provinces of Córdoba and Jaén, have served to discover unknown places of Andalusia, placing the area as one of the “must visit” mountain biking venues in Earth, besides its other well-known and broad touristic offer.

Andalucía Bike Race has had top class specialists in its start lists such as Olympic silver medallista and XCO World Champion, José Antonio Hermida; XCM World Champions, Annika Langvad and Alban Lakata; XCE World Champion, Ralph Näf; Under 23 XCO World Champions, Thomas Litscher, Ondrej Cink and Mathias Flückiger; Olympic diploma, Carlos Coloma; besides many other national champions and outstanding mountain bikers.

The six day stage race has also seen other prime athletes from other sports, for example; XTERRA and ITU Cross Triathlon World Champion, Rubén Ruzafa; Long Distance Duathlon World Champion, Eva Nyström; Ultraman World Champion, Jonas Colting; Adventure Raids World Champions, Myriam Guillot and Martin Flinta; Rally Dakar winner, Marc Coma; or Moto3 World Champion Maverick Viñales.

Most of the teams have travelled with at least one other person as companion or assistant, which means that during these years the region has benefited from approximately 25.000 overnights, filling the vast majority of accommodation available in the cities of Córdoba and Jaén, and their surroundings.

Up to date, Andalucía Bike Race has grown to have 23.500 Facebook followers, nearly 6.000 on Twitter, and close to half a million of unique visitors have entered its official website (www.andaluciabikerace.com), showing the competition’s enormous worldwide interest.

Andalucía Bike Race has developed rapidly and is now facing its fifth edition, from the 22nd until the 27th of February 2015. It will continue being a team race, in which two riders will have to ride together all stages within a two minute gap.