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From 51 to just 33 riders - Basque Country risks losing almost half of its professional cyclists into 2027

Cycling
Mikel Landa ahead of Il Lombardia 2026
Basque cycling faces the 2027 season with two contrasting developments. On one hand, Mikel Landa’s return to Euskaltel-Euskadi has renewed hope in a team aiming to regain prominence on the international calendar. The Tour de France’s passage through the Basque Country will also put the spotlight on a region with a deep cycling tradition.
Behind those two boosts, however, lies a less encouraging reality: the Basque professional peloton is shrinking. The number of riders with confirmed continuity has fallen from 51 to 33, reflecting the difficulty of finding places in professional teams and the impact of the closure of squads that once served as a pathway for local riders.
Uncertainty affects both riders with several seasons in the peloton and young cyclists who had found an opportunity to step up. The closure of Kern Pharma, which had a significant contingent of Basque and Navarrese riders, has been one of the biggest blows. Some have found places with other teams, but others still have no certainty about their futures.
According to figures published by El Diario Vasco, the decline is also clear in the regional breakdown and professional team rosters. Euskaltel-Euskadi remains the main home for local riders, while Movistar and Caja Rural account for many of the remaining places. Generational change, retirements and a lack of development teams paint a challenging picture for Basque cycling.
Mikel Landa before the start of the 2026 Clásica de San Sebastián
Mikel Landa, Euskaltel Euskadi’s marquee signing.

Landa leads the hopes of a peloton with a shrinking Basque presence

Mikel Landa’s return to Euskaltel-Euskadi is the main sporting reason to look ahead to 2027 with optimism. The rider from Álava will lead a project that has assembled a 22-rider roster, including a strong contingent of Basque cyclists. They include Xabier Berasategi, Xabier Isasa, Jon Agirre, Yago Agirre, Gari Ugarte, Nico Alustiza, Jonathan Lastra, Txomin Juaristi, Marco Martín, Gotzon Martín and Ander Okamika, as well as young riders Unai Ramos, Iker Mintegi, Julen Arriolabengoa and Hodei Muñoz. The team has also confirmed several renewals and new signings for next season.
Xabier Berasategi was one of the team’s standout riders in 2026. The rider from Gipuzkoa finished as Euskaltel’s top UCI points scorer, with 622, and claimed his first professional victory at the age of 26. Away from Euskaltel, Movistar will have Jon Barrenetxea and Diego Uriarte, while Caja Rural will count on Gorka Sorarrain, Unai Iribar, Gorka Corres and Iker Villar. The progress of young riders such as Eñaut Urkaregi, who is under contract with Lidl-Trek Futures until 2028, and Luca Martínez, who will continue his development within the UAE structure, is also worth watching.
Kern Pharma’s closure has triggered significant movement in the transfer market. Iñigo Elosegi, Hugo Aznar, Ibai Azanza and Mikel Retegi have been left without the Navarrese team, although several former teammates have already found new homes: Urko Berrade is joining Astana, Diego Uriarte is moving to Movistar, Ibon Ruiz to Bahrain and Unai Iribar to Caja Rural.
The progress of the three stagiaires who tried their hand at the professional level in 2026 also merits attention: Kepa Ormazabal, Ander Otegi and Unax Errasti are returning to development teams or still have no confirmed destination. Errasti at least made his mark by scoring points at the GP del Lazio.
The regional breakdown shows that Gipuzkoa remains the province with the most riders, with 12, followed by Navarra with nine, and Bizkaia and Álava with six each.
Ion Izagirre’s retirement is another significant loss for Gipuzkoan cycling, although names such as Haimar Etxeberria at Red Bull-Bora, Alex Aranburu at Cofidis and Xabier Mikel Azparren at Pinarello Q36.5 remain prominent. Aranburu again produced strong results, while Azparren was runner-up in the Spanish time trial championships and came close to winning a stage at the Vuelta.
In Bizkaia, by contrast, the outlook is more difficult following the retirements of Pello Bilbao, Mikel Bizkarra, Jonathan Castroviejo and Omar Fraile. In Álava, Landa, Markel Beloki — who is moving from EF to Ineos — and Ibon Ruiz maintain the region’s representation. Navarra still has riders such as Igor Arrieta, a stage winner at the 2026 Giro, Óscar Rodríguez, Urko Berrade, Diego Uriarte and Iker Mintegi.
The transfer market still holds unanswered questions. Jokin Murguialday, Unai Aznar and Andoni López de Abetxuko, along with Ailetz Lasa and Asier Etxeberria, are among the riders whose futures remain unresolved. It is also worth keeping an eye on cyclists taking their first steps in continental teams or development squads, as the reduction in professional places could hamper their progress.
Landa’s return and the Tour’s passage through the French Basque Country will offer reasons for hope, but the fall from 51 riders to 33 confirms that Basque cycling faces a structural challenge: retaining its talent and ensuring the next generation has a pathway into the professional ranks.

Basque and Navarrese riders: contract status, 2026–2027

RiderHometown20262027
GIPUZKOA
Alex AranburuEzkioCofidisCofidis
Nicolas AlustizaZumarragaEuskaltelEuskaltel
Jon AgirreZumaiaEuskaltelEuskaltel
Yago AgirreDonostiaEuskaltelEuskaltel
Xabier BerasategiOlaberriaEuskaltelEuskaltel
Xabier IsasaUrretxuEuskaltelEuskaltel
Gari UgarteLegazpiEuskaltelEuskaltel
Xabier Mikel AzparrenDonostiaPinarello Q36.5Pinarello Q36.5
Haimar EtxeberriaIrunRed Bull-BoraRed Bull-Bora
Unai IribarIbarraKern PharmaCaja Rural
Gorka SorarrainTolosaCaja RuralCaja Rural
Alex DíazUrretxuCaja RuralNo team
Unax ErrastiAntzuolaKern PharmaNo team
Kepa OrmazabalGabiriaEuskaltelNo team
Ander OtegiZegamaEuskaltelNo team
Eñaut UrkaregiLarraulLidl-Trek FutureLidl-Trek Future
Ion IzagirreOrmaiztegiCofidisRetired
BIZKAIA
Jon BarrenetxeaGamiz-FikaMovistarMovistar
Jonathan LastraBilbaoEuskaltelEuskaltel
Ander OkamikaLekeitioBurgos-BHEuskaltel
Txomin JuaristiMarkinaEuskaltelEuskaltel
Marco MartínBilbaoEuskaltelEuskaltel
Gotzon MartínOrozkoEuskaltelEuskaltel
Iñigo ElosegiZierbenaKern PharmaNo team
Ander GanzabalOrozkoEuskaltelNo team
Pello BilbaoGernikaBahrainRetired
Mikel BizkarraMañariaEuskaltelRetired
ÁLAVA
Markel BelokiVitoriaEF EducationINEOS
Ibon RuizVitoriaKern PharmaBahrain
Mikel LandaMurgiaSoudal Quick-StepEuskaltel
Julen ArriolabengoaErentxunEuskaltelEuskaltel
Hodei MuñozLuiaondoEuskaltelEuskaltel
Gorka CorresVitoriaCaja RuralCaja Rural
Andoni López de AbetxukoAgurainAnicolorNo team
Jokin MurguiadayAgurainEuskaltelNo team
Javier IbáñezVitoriaCaja RuralNo team
Joseba LópezVitoriaCaja RuralNo team
NAVARRA
Igor ArrietaUharte-ArakilUAELidl-Trek
Óscar RodríguezBurladaIneosIneos
Diego UriarteBarañainKern PharmaMovistar
Iker GómezAlsasuaKern PharmaMovistar
Urko BerradePamplonaKern PharmaAstana
Iker MintegiAlsasuaEuskaltelEuskaltel
Unai RamosTudelaKern PharmaEuskaltel
Iker VillarEguzkitzaCaja RuralCaja Rural
Ibai AzanzaPamplonaKern PharmaNo team
Hugo AznarCortesKern PharmaNo team
Unai AznarCortesEuskaltelNo team
Mikel RetegiBarañainKern PharmaNo team
Ailetz LasaZiordiaTaviraNo team
Asier EtxeberriaEgüesPingtanNo team
Luca MartínezLakuntzaTolosa-DanenaUAE-Gen Z
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