PREVIEW | Itzulia Basque Country 2023 - Vingegaard, Mas, Landa and Gaudu headline exciting and explosive week of racing

Preview. From the 3rd to 8th of April 2023 the riders will tackle one of the most complicated stage-races in the World Tour calendar: Itzulia Basque Country. The six-day stage-race will see some of the world's best climbers fight in holy cycling land, the Basque Country.

Stage 1 will be a tough opening day for the Basque race, in traditional fashion as the day lacks any serious climb but is filled with small ascents and rolling roads. It's a treacherous day with the finale in Labastida but likely the best suited to the sprinters, with a slight uphill drag to the line.

Stage 2 may end similarly, however the finale is very prone to attacks. It's a tricky day into Leitza with five categorized climbs. The final one ends with a 11.1-kilometer long climb at 3.1%, which summits with less than five kilometers to go. The run-up into Leitza will be dangerous and fast, downhill all the way into the line.

Stage 3 will be a traditional Basque day, packed with short and steep climbs. Many of them uncategorized, but the second half of the stage has plenty of them in quick succession. The final 15 kilometers alone have four: 1.5Km at 9.7%; 1Km at 10%; 700 meters at 8.8% and the hilltop in which the stage ends with which is 1.1 kilometers at 9.4%.

Stage 4 has quite a lot of rolling roads into Saturtzi. The most decisive spot of the day will be the climb to La Asturiana. Contrary to the name it's a Basque ascent, it's 7.6 kilometers long at 6.3% but the first half is quite steeper. A descent will follow before an explosive finale.

In the roads of Amorebieta will be another stage suited to the puncheurs on stage 5 who are preparing for the Ardennes classics. It's another day full of short and explosive ascents, most of them uncategorized but quite meaningful for the day's fatigue build-up. In the final 9 kilometers there are three hilltops: 900 meters at 9.1%; 600 meters at 9.6% and lastly 1Km at 7%, before another very fast and downhill finish into town.

The queen stage. Many of the days throughout the week can see dangerous attacks, but the climbers will really come into their own in the classic Eibar day. It won't end with a climb but has seven categorized ascents. Krabelin (4.4Km; 10%) will be present halfway through the stage, but the attacks should come later in the day. It's in Izua (4.1Km; 9.1%) that the main moves are expected, it's the penultimate climb which summits with 27 kilometers to go. 5.3Km at 4.5% will be the details of the final climb of the race, before the run-up to Eibar after 3400 meters of climbing in 137 kilometers.

Estimated start and finish times for Itzulia Basque Country stages:

Stage 1: 14:20 - 18:30CET

Stage 2: 13:40 - 18:30CET

Stage 3: 14:40 - 18:30CET

Stage 4: 14:00 - 18:30CET

Stage 5: 14:20 - 18:30CET

Stage 6: 15:00 - 18:30CET

Jonas Vingegaard - Second and sixth in the last two editions, the Tour de France champion is fond of the Basque race. It's not the best suited to him as it features a lot of explosive stages and lacks the long climbs, but Vingegaard will be a big contender. With support from Steven Kruijswijk and Attila Valter Jumbo-Visma have weapons to strive for a win.

Bahrain - Victorious - The home team, some would say. Of course this isn't literally the case, but as will be in the Tour de France, Basque climbers Mikel Landa and Pello Bilbao will be leading the team here. Racing in these roads will see a motivated duo, two riders can can climb quite well and have been showing good form this season, and that can descend. Having two cards will be beneficial for the team.

Enric Mas - The man in form throughout the end of last season. Enric Mas has worked through his difficulties and is looking for revenge in Itzulia. Now a rider who can thrive in the explosive climbs, Mas will be a big contender for the GC win. He will be fit for all types of ascent here, and Movistar feature a strong team as they look to finally net him a big stage-race win.

David Gaudu - Gaudu looked in good form back in February and then proved it at Paris-Nice. Gaudu was second to Pogacar there and proved himself as a top contender for the stage-races throughout the year. After some rest he builds form towards Itzulia and the Ardennes, he will be a very strong rider for the hilly stages but the mountains of the Basque Country won't be too hard for him to thrive on.

Simon Yates - Yates finished fourth at Paris-Nice recently, improving form throughout the week. The 30-year old is exactly the kind of rider who can thrive in this terrain, but he's a wildcard. Jayco AlUla have a strong lineup heading into the race, but the Briton will need his best legs to win here.

Marc Soler & Brandon McNulty - UAE have good chances. It isn't their best team but they have good cards. Brandon McNulty has looked very good here in the past, he hasn't shown his best form yet this season but if he reaches that he can be in the fight for the win. Marc Soler, an inconsistent but very strong climber, has recently shown his best legs in years as he rode to fourth in Catalunya, and should be motivated for a leading position with the team.

INEOS - Egan Bernal is returning to race and although it's unlikely he could dream. The team has two cards for the GC but they are uncertain, one in Luke Plapp who has ridden to second place at the UAE Tour but didn't start the Volta a Catalunya as planned. The other is defending champion Daniel Martínez, who on paper would be an ideal card for this race. He has won the Volta ao Algarve but Paris-Nice saw his form much more modest, but as he eyes the Ardennes classics he has had time to improve in the meantime.

Sergio Higuita & Emanuel Buchmann - Higuita has shown his form at the GP Miguel Indurain. The Colombian is another good example of a climber who is also a great puncheur and could do quite well here. Last year's Catalunya winner, he seems to be building up his form calmly towards the month of April, with Emanuel Buchmann a second option for BORA - hansgrohe.

Ion Izagirre - Winner of the GP Miguel Indurain, the Basque climber is back to his best legs just in time. Racing at home has frequently seen the leader of Cofidis thrive, he's won the race in 2019 and won the queen stage last year despite the emergence of a new stronger generation. The 34-year old is a very interesting outsider.

EF Education-EasyPost - The trio of riders who were present in the Volta a Catalunya return here. A south-American strike group, the team has options in Esteban Chaves who was in good form early on in Catalunya, Richard Carapaz who recently started his season and was working on his form, and Rigoberto Urán who improved throughout the week and rode to 10th in Catalunya.

Mattias Skjelmose -

The GC fight may also see some other riders in the fight, it's a race with a lot of unpredictable terrain and riders can benefit from that. David de la Cruz and Pierre Latour will be two climbers to watch, whilst in the puncheur side both Rui Costa and Mauro Schmid have shown great form this year.

*** David Gaudu, Enric Mas, Jonas Vingegaard
** Simon Yates, Mikel Landa, Pello Bilbao, Marc Soler
* Ion Izagirre, Sergio Higuita, Daniel Martínez, Mattias Skjelmose

Pick: Enric Mas