Profiles & Route Itzulia Basque Country 2023

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.

This is a race that will feature several hilly and mountainous stages over the course of six days. This is frequently the final step for the riders who are preparing for the Ardennes classics, however simultaneously it is one of the most prestigious and hotly contested stage-races in the calendar. As classic, all stages feature hilly and mountainous profiles from start to finish.

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 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