From the 7th to the 12th of April, the peloton will take on Itzulia Basque Country; a race that is well known for it's course designed for climbers and puncheurs in a region full of cycling history. We take a look at it's profiles.
The race consists of six stages, opening up with a hilly time-trial, followed by a somewhat flat stage and then four consecutive days of riding in the hills and mountains - where the overall classification can be decided on every single one.
The race starts off with a 16-kilometer time-trial in Vitoria-Gasteiz, one that is not flat and as usual will already create some early differences between the overall classification contenders.
There is no technical aspect to this time-trial, it's very simple and in the first half, although they are not too difficult, there are a couple of small ascents. Still, it is mostly rolling terrain where the specialists can still make the difference.
Stage 2 is the one day where the sprinters can happily say that they will have a clear opportunity to win. Don't be mistaken, it's not a traditional flat day, but the climbs won't be too dramatic and a bunch sprint seems relatively inevitable going into Lodosa after 197 kilometers.
There will be 1600 meters of climbing over the day, not too much, and the final climb summits with 17 kilometers to go, being around 2 kilometers at 4%. No-one who wants to fight for the stage win will get dropped in such gradients, and a bunch sprint is then likely.
It won't be a simple one, with a roundabout coming with 2.3 kilometers to go which leads to a downhill section where the speeds will be very high. With 1.2 to go they reach the riverside and from here on out it's a flat finale, with a slight right-hander with around 300 meters to go.
The third day of the race will be the introduction to what Itzulia offers the most. The stage between Zarautz and Beasain will feature plenty ascents and the ones that come later in the day are extremely steep. Not necessarily a day just for the climbers, plenty riders can have a chance in such an explosive finale.
3100 meters of climbming on the menu, however most of the climbs in the first two thirds of the race will be there to set fatigue and won't see attacks. Even the penultimate of the day, the toughest - to Gainza - is unlikely to see attacks because of the long flat stretch that follows. Nevertheless, the ascent is 2.3 kilometers long at 11% and it gets substantially steeper at the summit, so a lot of riders will go to the limit here (the climb ends with 37 kilometers to go).
The attacks should come later in the day instead, on the ascent to Lazkaomendi which is 1.4 kilometers long at 9.4%. Not as difficult but the summit comes with only 6 kilometers to the finish, and going solo over the top means an almost certain win as the descent will quickly lead the riders into town. The final 3 kilometers are still mostly flat, and so there is room for more attacks before the finish for those looking to avoid a sprint.
Stage 4 is a harder challenge with no doubt, a day, one where the climbers can make a lot of difference, even if the attacks only come on the final ascent. There will be punchy ascents early on in the day which adds to the fatigue and increase the day's total amount of climbing to 2800 meters, but the focus will truly be on that final climb.
Before the downhill finish into Markina-Xemein is 3.5 kilometers long at almost 10% and this is a climb that without a doubt the climbers can use to make the difference. In Izua, the ramps will go up to 20% and this finishes only with 11 kilometers to go on the day.
Like the previous day, this is one where if you go over the top of the final climb alone a victory is quite likely, as most of the way to the finish is downhill and will be very fast - whilst a group will never have an easy time organizing a proper chase.
Stage 5 is a tricky day to predict, a hilly day but the climbs aren't truly brutal. The overall classification can absolutely implode if someone fully devotes to attacking the race, however if this isn't the case we may have a tactical finale or even reduced bunch sprint - if not a breakaway - to decide the outcome of the day.
The ascent to Zalobante will be under the spotlight, being 4.9 kilometers long at 6.4% and ending with 14 kilometers to go. The first half of this climb averages almost 10% and can be used to make the difference. Regardless, the peloton will lose men, and it's possible that over the less steep second half there will be attacks and attempts to go for a solo win, not based on strength but instead on tactics.
However this can be played in many different ways, as with 3 kilometers to go there is a 700-meter ramp that averages 6% where more attacks can happen. A finale that is open to many kinds of riders and can be quite interesting, even bringing forward some surprises.
The queen stage in the Basque Country is always a day to fear unless you're an extremely talented climber. 3600 meters of climbing in 154 kilometers starting and finishing in the town of Eibar, with some very difficult climbs spread all throughout the day. It's one purely for the climbers, where the key attacks can come on several moments of the day.
Truly a gruesome day of racing. The climbs, mostly, are known to those who participate in this race but it won't make them any easier:
Ekorrieta: 2.5Km; 6.2%; 140Km to go
Azurki: 5.1Km; 7.4%; 129Km to go
Krabelin: 5Km; 9.4%; 107Km to go
Trabakua: 3.3Km; 6.8%; 85Km to go
Karabieta: 6.5Km; 6.5%; 65Km to go
Krabelin is the hardest climb of the day, and it's quite possible that some riders will try to raid the race in there, but the climb where it's most likely that there will be big attacks is Izua which comes with a manageable 38 kilometers to go. It's just over 4 kilometers long but the final 3 average 10%, it's steep and long enough for the pure climbers to really make a difference. However the climbing doesn't end there.
The ascent to Trabakua is ridden once again, now finishing with 18 kilometers to go, followed by two small ascents... The climbing truly never ends on a day like this, as even after the final categorized ascent there are still three serious ones to tackle.
The last of which is the 'variante' ascent, on a wide highway area, only 500 meters long but it averages 10% and comes with 5 kilometers to go at the end of a brutal day. The finale itself won't be downhill but rather rolling, with small downhill or uphill gradients all the way into the finish line in Eibar.
🔝2025EKO ITZULIA BASQUE COUNTRYREN KARTEL OFIZIALA 🔝
— Itzulia Basque Country (@ehitzulia) March 25, 2025
Gaur aurkeztu dugu 2025eko Itzulia Basque Countryren kartel ofiziala.
Itzuliaren 64. edizioko kartelaren egilea David de las Heras da, @david_delasheras
🔥 CARTEL OFICIAL DE LA ITZULIA BASQUE COUNTRY 2025 🔥
Hoy hemos… pic.twitter.com/gBcoLRkjzo
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- So why did Tadej say, in an interview, when he won Flanders and was asked if he would try Roubaix next, that he would need to gain more body weight before he thinks of Roubaix? Tadej weighs 25 lbs. lighter than MVDP, last I checked.FredMan06-04-2025
- This is a race Brandon McNulty can win if his form has improved. I'll be pulling for him.awp06-04-2025
- I don’t know how generalised it is but in every race in every country I’ve participated in you either need to show a club licence (which you only get by having a medical around every 2-3 years) or by having a doctors’ aptitude certificate. Can’t ask for much more. Don’t forget, 15000 people (of which quite some are well into the latter part of life), that’s a small town where people will have medical issues every day even without cycling hard. In one country I lived in you even have to do a full ECG and power test regularly to ride competitively after 50.Mistermaumau05-04-2025
- Before or after their kids get married to each other ;-)Mistermaumau05-04-2025
- Ok guys, both of you, this is far too complex to debate as a whole as there are dozens of variables and none of the conditions have been rigidly defined, what’s more, everyone is looking at things from a different angle and for a different purpose so let’s go back to the real basics first to see if we can agree on some starting principles. If you throw a golf ball or ping pong ball (assuming same size here) at the same speed in the same direction, which is going to land further? Ditto if you launch them with the same power? If two identical riders of 70 and 80kg (lets assume the extra 10kg is just bones and drinks and lunch) on identical bikes ride side by side at speed X with zero wind (or alternatively a really strong head wind) and both stop pedalling at the same time, which is going to roll further or come to a stop sooner? The wind force does inevitably come into play but I want to keep an open mind as to the effect it has in situ in practice because it obviously isn’t the only criteria and with acem82’s example it’s highly likely that wind is more minor but that wouldn’t be true for every real-life situation. Regarding cobbles, that’s an extremely complex motion to analyse, you can call it bouncing or hopping or climbing or what you like but in reality it’s indescribable and only high precision analysis can tell you exactly how much of each effect is contributing for each rider at each speed and every tire pressure/behaviour, you will NEVER manage to say that one criteria alone governs the whole efficiency equation.Mistermaumau05-04-2025
- Medical test should be mandatory before participationabstractengineer05-04-2025
- You are completely wrongvappaxbipmv05-04-2025
- Tadej has a little more chance. It will be an exciting race and the most important thing is that no one gets hurt.
maria2024202405-04-2025 - Whatever happens tomorrow... it'll be a hell of a raceslappers6605-04-2025
- Exactly Tadej, the cancer of modern society. Full of good-for-nothing people who gain visibility and importance on social media mocking, humiliating (and worse things) to earn money. But it's the follower's fault, no followers, no "influencers".maria2024202405-04-2025