Tour of the Basque Country 2025: an endurance test for the cycling elite

The 64th edition of the Tour of the Basque Country, officially known as “Itzulia Basque Country”, will take place from April 7 to 12, 2025. This prestigious stage race covers a total of 870.2 kilometers through the picturesque regions of Álava, Navarra, Gipuzkoa and Bizkaia. With 27 categorized climbs – including four of category 1, two of category 2 and twenty-one of category 3 – the route promises a real climbing extravaganza.

The importance of the mountain classifications

The Tour of the Basque Country is notorious for its demanding profile, in which the mountain classifications play a central role:

1st category: These climbs are the queen stages of the race. Often over 10 kilometers long and averaging more than 7% gradient, they challenge even the best climbers.
2nd category: Slightly shorter, but no less challenging. These climbs often have lengths between 5 and 10 kilometers with gradients around 6%.
3rd category: The most common climbs in the race. Usually between 2 and 5 kilometers long with gradients around 5%. Their frequency makes the race particularly grueling.

Route analysis: A course for all-rounders

The Itzulia 2025 is tailor-made for offensive riders with excellent climbing and tactical skills. The constant interplay between explosive climbs and technically demanding descents offers numerous opportunities for attacks. Especially in the final kilometers of each stage, tactical maneuvers between the favorites for the overall classification and brave escapees can create high tension.

Stage overview

Stage (April 7): A technically demanding opening time trial in Vitoria-Gasteiz over 18.7 km. The short, steep climb at the beginning and the fast sections with many direction changes require maximum concentration and perfect riding technique.
Stage 5 (April 8): The longest stage at 199.6 km from Pamplona to Lodosa. Despite the seemingly sprint-friendly profile, the undulating final 30 km could produce surprises.
Stage (April 9): A mountain stage par excellence from Zarautz to Beasain (156.3 km) with seven mountain classifications. The steep climb 6 km before the finish could be decisive for the race.
Stage (April 10): 174.2 km from Beasain to Markina-Xemein offers terrain for brave escapees. The hilly sections and the climb just before the finale favor attacks.
Stage (April 11): The 163.8 km from Urduña to Gernika-Lumo could decide the overall classification. The final climb with 15 km to go will separate the men from the boys.
Stage (April 12): The grand finale in Eibar over 157.6 km is a celebration for climbing specialists. The short, steep climbs in the final part offer last chances to influence the overall classification.

In the 64th edition of the Itzulia, 24 teams with a total of 168 riders will start.

All 18 UCI WorldTeams are represented:

Alpecin-Deceuninck
Arkéa-B&B Hotels
Bahrain Victorious
Cofidis
Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team
EF Education – EasyPost
Groupama-FDJ
INEOS Grenadiers
Intermarché – Wanty
Lidl-Trek
Movistar Team
Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe
Soudal Quick-Step
Team Jayco AlUla
Team Picnic PostNL
Team Visma | Lease A Bike
UAE Team Emirates – XRG
XDS Astana Team

In addition, six other teams have been invited:

Burgos-Burpellet-BH
Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
Equipo Kern Pharma
Euskaltel-Euskadi
TotalEnergies
Tudor Pro Cycling Team

The provisional start list includes some of the best riders in the peloton. João Almeida, Carlos Rodríguez and Enric Mas, among others, are among the top contenders.

Retrospective: The dramatic 2024 Tour of the Basque Country

The 2024 edition will be remembered for a momentous mass crash on the fourth stage. About 36 km before the finish in Legutio, there was a crash on a descent that took several top riders out of the race:

Jonas Vingegaard: broken collarbone, multiple broken ribs
Remco Evenepoel: broken collarbone and shoulder blade
Jay Vine: cervical vertebrae fracture, two fractures of the thoracic spine
Steff Cras: broken ribs, fractured vertebrae, pneumothorax

These incidents sparked an intense discussion about safety standards and the increasing risk-taking in modern cycling. Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious) noted that the increasing aggressiveness in the peloton and higher average speeds are pushing riders to their limits.

Conclusion and outlook

Mountain

The 2025 Tour of the Basque Country promises to be a highlight of the cycling season once again. The challenging route, the unpredictable terrain of the Basque Country and the tactical finesse of the top teams will ensure exciting racing. At the same time, it is to be hoped that the lessons learned from the incidents of 2024 will lead to increased safety measures to protect the health of the athletes as much as possible.

Cycling fans can look forward to six days of high-class cycling, during which it will become clear who has the perfect balance of climbing strength, time trial skills and tactical ability to secure overall victory.