Nico's New Colors
Ruta del Sol, also called the Veulta a Andulcia, is one of the first major races of the European season. Raced in Southern Spain, the riders were facing warmer temperatures than most of the EU. The race opened with a split first stage of a shorter road race followed by a late afternoon short individual time trial. With the two big names of the contemporary peloton, Chris Froome and Alberto Contador, all eyes were on the pair to see who would draw first blood in the first meeting of 2015. The day was also a chance to see the new teams of many well know riders including Nicolas Roche, now riding for the UK based Team Sky.