The second stage will depart from the Almendralejo Bullring and head towards Cabezabellosa.

All stages begin on different Wine Routes in Spain and finish in towns that have suffered wildfires in recent years.

The Ribera del Guadiana Wine and Cava Route takes to the bicycle in the 7th Vuelta a España RVE Fénix, promoted by the Utreya Movement. This cycling, cultural, and social project will take place from July 4th to 11th and will cover more than 1,400 kilometers through different Wine Routes in Spain.

The seven stages that make up the 7th Vuelta begin on various wine tourism routes across the country and finish in towns that have been affected by wildfires in recent years, with the aim of highlighting their gastronomy, traditions, and culture.

The Ribera del Guadiana Wine and Cava Route will be the starting point for the second stage. This journey will depart from Almendralejo on July 5th, heading towards Cabezabellosa, passing through Torremejía, Mérida, Aljucén, Casas de Don Antonio, Aldea del Cano, Cáceres, Casar de Cáceres, Cañaveral, Plasencia, Grimaldo, Mirabel, Villar de Plasencia, and Jarilla.

FESTIVE DAY

But the event will begin a day earlier. The Ribera del Guadiana Wine and Cava Route will welcome the expedition on the evening of Friday, July 4th, at 8:30 p.m. near the Almendralejo Bullring. This event is open to the public before the start of a 220-kilometer (1,250-mile) day of cycling through Extremadura on the 5th. The journey aims to highlight the rural world and foster a positive perspective on the region through identity, culture, and pride in its origins—a core objective of the Ultreya Movement.

It’s no coincidence that this year’s edition, called Wine Routes of Spain (RVE) Phoenix, is built on a dual narrative: the Wine Routes of Spain and the territories affected by wildfires.

Thus, its storyline connects wineries and wine tourism routes with the towns that have suffered forest fires in recent summers. “Putting out the fire with wine” is the motto of an initiative that seeks to bring life and hope to the places where the flames have left their mark.

A LONG AND DEMANDING STAGE

The Extremadura stage is long and demanding, which is why it needed someone who knew firsthand what’s at stake when the mountains burn. Thus, it will be led by José Luis Freije, a forest firefighter and witness to the devastation of the fires that ravaged the province of Cáceres.

Participating in the initiative are, in addition to the Ribera del Guadiana Wine and Cava Route, the Marco de Jerez Wine and Brandy Route, the Rueda Wine Route, the Bierzo Wine Route, the Arlanza Wine Route, the Rioja Alavesa Wine Route, the Navarra Wine Route, and the Rioja Alta Wine Route.

Eight stages linked to eight designations of origin, with 1,400 kilometers of cycling in between, to enjoy, discover, and appreciate the landscapes, the people, and the stories behind each wine tourism route, connecting not only routes but also raising a toast to life, memory, and the future of the region.

The Ultreya Movement was born in 2020, during the darkest days of the pandemic, as a response in the form of cycling and solidarity. Every year, a team of people with very diverse backgrounds travels to approximately eight villages in rural Spain that are struggling against neglect and depopulation. At each stop, the movement highlights the history, traditions, gastronomy, and dances of each place, presents a donation to a local association, and documents everything in an audiovisual series that brings these villages to thousands of screens.