Profiles Itzulia Basque Country 2022

Itzulia Basque Country will take place from thr 4th to the 9th of April and will see some of the world's best climbers and puncheurs in action. Being in a crucial point of the spring for the stage-racers, but also right before the Ardennes classics, there is a wide variety of riders licking their lips at the opportunities the hard racing provides.

The opening day of the Itzulia. It’s a short prologue and it’s very explosive. Only 7.6 kilometers, but they feature some climbing, descending and tight streets in the middle of Hondarribia. It will set some early gaps and order in the general classification.

The first road stage of the Itzulia is an interesting one. It can have different scenarios, and the first is of a possible breakaway win as the start of the stage is quite hard and favourable for a strong group to go up the road. The last two thirds of the stage are not as complicated, but they do feature some climbing which may make things difficult for those looking to setup a sprint.

It won’t be steep, but nevertheless will be a 12.7Km-long climb which will summit with 29 kilometers to go, and then the final kilometers are very rolling which provide some terrain where attacks may happen. The final 15 kilometers feature some rolling hilltops which can be used for attacks and prevent a bunch sprint, but if one is to happen this will be the only stage.

Stage two, the third day of the race will be a very tricky one, it does not feature a single long climb, however it does feature a set of short and steep climbs which will be ridden twice and have the potential to blow up the race.

The two main features of the stage are the Opellora and Ozeka climbs. Both will be ridden twice as there will be a loop. The final time they’re ridden, they’ll summit with 29 and 22 kilometers to go, well within the range of a decisive GC attack. Opellora features 1.1Km at 13.1% making it an incredibly steep ascent which will decimate most of the peloton, and later at Ozeka (3.6Km at 7.3%). The 500 meters at 10% with just 5 kilometers to go are more than enough to be a launchpad for a stage win too. The rest of the stage will have a mostly false-flat downhill into the finish line in Amurrio.

Stage three has 186 kilometers and heads into the outskirts of Bilbao where the Alto del Vivero will be the main feature of the stage. The stage start is flat, and 65 kilometers in the riders go into the climbs, the normal rompe-piernas terrain of Spain.

There will be two ascents that will mark the stage. The first comes with 38 kilometers to go, Urruztimendi. It is 1.9 kilometers long and averages 10.5%, another steep and sharp ascent where the peloton will suffer to go up. Through a non-traditional side, but the Vivero will be climbed once again and it summits with only 19 kilometers to go, it’s a 6-kilometer climb which doesn’t feature a high average gradient, however it hides a very steep start which has 2.2 kilometers at 10.6% average grade and much superior gradients at points. The stage then features the descent off the mountain and a 10-kilometer flat section before the finale in Zamudio.

3400 meters of climbing in the penultimate stage of the Itzulia. A raw day with climbing from start to finish, nowhere to hide. However, with the queen stage ahead, it may be a more conservative day between the GC riders, only the road will tell. The day starts off with a trio of small but sharp hilltops which will likely see a strong group go up the road.

Between 70 and 35 kilometers to go there will be a long sequence of climbs, which will be a warm-up to Karabieta. The most dangerous climb of the day will be Karabieta, which is 6.8 kilometers long at 5.4%, but as many climbs in this race, the average is very deceptive. It is a climb of two halves, separated by a flat section. The first half has 3.1 kilometers at 8.6% and it is hard enough to see serious attacks. The climb summits with 13 kilometers to go.

The riders won’t be able to relax towards the line though, as the final kilometer is steep and should see gaps as the riders will go all-out into the line as it features steep ramps. The final 3 kilometers are generally uphill, but it’s specifically the final 600 meters which are dangerous as they average 10.5%, making for a very special kind of sprint.

The queen stage of the Itzulia will once again go up the Alto de Arrate where the biggest differences can be made, in what is a very explosive stage with 3500 meters of climbing in 135 kilometers. The first hard bits come with 96 (2.8Km at 10.5%) and 83 (5.2Km at 7.3%) kilometers to go at the summit of the two hard opening ascents, which can be used for an attempt to raid the race.

From there on the first climb of the day takes play which is the Krabelin, with 39 kilometers to go. It’s a gruesome climb with very steep ramps where W/Kg is the only thing that matters, not an overly long effort, but it’s the hardest climb of the race and serious attacks can come here.

The finale of the stage and the race sees the riders go up Arrate once again. 4.6Km at 8.5%, the gradients aren’t hard but it’s nevertheless a hard climb, at the end of a very explosive day. At the summit, the race should be decided.