Maxim Van Gils’ hopes of scoring a large haul of ranking points for racing just 4.9km at the Ruta del Sol have been scuppered by the UCI, who have updated the allocation for the disrupted Spanish race and awarded the Lotto Dstny-rider just 20 points.
The Vuelta a Andalucia-Ruta Ciclista Del Sol was scheduled to last five days, with hilly stages in the south of Spain.
However widespread protests by Spanish farmers meant sufficient police officers were not available to ensure safety of the race and so organisers had to cancel the opening two stages.
The remaining three stages were redesigned, but then the weekend stages were also cancelled, leaving only Friday’s 4.9km time trial.
Van Gils was a surprise winner ahead of Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) and his Lotto-Dstny team initially celebrated in the belief that he had scored 225 points. The Belgian team is trying to score enough points to secure automatic invitations to 2025 WorldTour event and then a place in the WorldTour itself from 2026.
On Monday, however, the UCI updated the status of the Ruta del Sol and the points allocated to the race. Due to cancellation of the other stages, the time trial became a one-day race, with no generation classification and so no other points awarded.
A ProSeries stage race awards 200 points, with 20 points awarded for the stage victory and five points for a day in a leader’s jersey.
With the Ruta del Sol reduced to a 4.9km one-day time trial. Van Gils scored just 20 points after he and his teammates spent a week in Spain.
He was awarded a race winner’s yellow jersey but that has become just a souvenir of his victory.
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