The week between on April 1st and 6th will be marked by Tour of the Basque Country 2024. “Itzulia” is the fourth WorldTour-level stage race of a week and represents an important event in the season, in a transition period between the first Northern Classics and the central part of the international calendar. The route will, as per tradition, call to work above all the most explosive climbers and runners, putting together an individual time trial and five very demanding stages in terms of altitude. You will need a polished condition to be able to absorb all the expected difficulties and to obtain good results, both for the day and overall.
Tour of the Basque Country 2024 route
An individual time trial returns to the race program and the organizers place it right on the opening day. The first stage will in fact see an individual time trial, with departure and arrival at Irun, a town that marks the border with France. The stage measures 10 kilometers and will include the ascent of Olaberria, which measures 1.7 kilometers with an average gradient of 5.2%. Climb even in the very last meters, given that the finish banner will be placed at the end of 200 meters which go upwards at 10%.
With the first fraction online we will start again from Irunbut almost immediately we will leave the Basque Country and Spain and cross over into France to tackle the 160 kilometers scheduled up to Kanbo (i.e. Cambo-les-Bains). Although only one GPM is planned, that of Saint Ignace (2.6 km at 5.9%), located less than twenty kilometers from the start, this day’s route will be rather nervous and full of ups and downs and short spurts that will certainly remain in the legs of the runners, who will also pass a first once on the finish line after 50 kilometers and will thus have the opportunity to study the slightly ascending finish line in view of the likely sprint, even if not with a full group.
The third stage is also nervous, the longest of this edition, with its 190.9 kilometres Ezpeleta to Altsasu. However, even if we start off straight uphill with the GPM of Otsondo (8.2km at 5.7%), the day still doesn’t seem to be able to give life to the battle between the big names. The challenging triptych of Use Gaina (11.2km at 3.2%), Uitzi (4.7 km at 6.9%) e Zuarrarraete (6.8km at 3.6%) is in fact very far from the finish line, and there are still two GPMs to follow, but not exactly very hard, nor too close to each other or to the finish line. The wall of Olaberria (1.6km at 7.5%) is in fact over 40 km from the end, while the climb of Lizarrusti (6.4 km at 4.7%) doesn’t seem hard enough to make a substantial difference, given that there are still twenty kilometers to go to the finish line. Some action could emerge, just as a breakaway could resist, but otherwise we might have to wait a little longer to see the big names in action (although you never know these days). A rather narrow sprint is not unlikely.
The fourth stage promises to be shorter and more intense, the climbs of which are close together and also at the finish line, just ten kilometers from the last climb, with grim slopes. If the departure from Etxarri Aranatz will be rather simple, as in reality the first 115 kilometers in which the long plain will be interrupted only by the GPM of Opakua (7.1 km at 5.8%) and from Azazeta’s subsequent tear, in the last 40 kilometers of the flat race we will no longer see any. The wall of Olaeta (1.9km at 9%) in fact opens a challenging sequence which, after a steep descent, continues with the climb of Untzilla (2.3km at 8.5%), followed by a dive that leads to a short slight slope up to the foot of Leintz Gatzaga (3km at 8.7%), where we expect to see the men in the ranking try something given that the final will then be very fast between a descent and a short slight slope up to the finish line of Legutius.
The scenario of the fifth stage is similar with a very easy start which includes 80 kilometers of flat terrain and then a descent Vitoria-Gasteiz. At that point we will know about the grim Urkiola (5.5km at 9.4%), which will give the group a first jolt. After a long descent in two stages, just over twenty kilometers of flat terrain lead to the ascent of Muniketagaina (3.5km at 7.3%), followed by a further climb which will then anticipate the dive towards the finish line of Amorebieta-Etxanowhere the runners will pass for the first time after 149.1 kilometres, before returning to the last two rough edges for a final circuit that is expected to be combative.
The last stage will be even shorter and more explosive, a repetition of what was done last year. The group will therefore once again tackle the 137.8 kilometers with departure and arrival in Eibar. A day that includes seven GPMs, starting with Elkorrieta (2.6 km at 6.7%), after just 13.5 kilometres, from which you will immediately go up towards Azurki, an ascent of 5100 meters at 7.4% which will end after 25 kilometers of the race. Followed by a rapid descent that will lead to the foot of the ascent of Gorla (9.6 km at 5.7%). From the top you will dive into a very steep descent, with then a short valley that will take the group towards the Krabelin (5 km at 9.6%), the summit of which is located exactly halfway along the route. We will continue at a fast pace since after the descent we will start climbing again, towards Trabakua (3.3 km at 7.1%), which opens up to a stretch of counterslopes that can reserve surprises, before a new tremendous ascent, for example Izua (4.1 km at 9.2%), penultimate ascent of the day. The last difficulty, which will begin as soon as the descent is completed, will see the group climb towards Urkaregi (5 km at 4.8%), the last effort of a decidedly exhausting day. At the summit there will be 12.5 kilometers to go until the end, which will come after a treacherous descent and a final, eventful kilometre.
Tour of the Basque Country stages 2024
Stage 1 (01/04): Irun – Irun (10 km – individual time trial)
Stage 2 (02/04): Irun – Kanbo (160 km)
Stage 3 (03/04): Ezpeleta – Altsasu (190.9 km)
Stage 4 (04/04): Etxarri Aranatz – Legutio (159 km)
Stage 5 (05/04): Vitoria-Gasteiz – Amorebieta-Etxano (175.9 km)
Stage 6 (06/04): Eibar – Eibar (137.8 km)
