Now that spring is here, one of the most eagerly awaited sporting events is back: the Itzulia Basque Country Gran Premio Banco Sabadell. The 64th edition of the Tour of the Basque Country will take place from 7 to 12 April and will cover a large part of the region, passing through some new locations.
Over six exciting days, the Itzulia peloton will have to tackle an 870-kilometre route, with 27 mountain passes: 1st Category: 4 climbs; 2nd Category: 2 climbs; and 3rd Category: 21 climbs.
24 teams have confirmed their participation in #Itzulia2025, of which 18 are UCI Wolrd Teams, with outstanding cyclists who will fight to stand on the podium on 12 April in Éibar and get the coveted winner’s txapela (Basque hat).
Banco Sabadell, committed to cycling and the Tour of the Basque Country
The Itzulia Basque Country will once again have the support of Banco Sabadell as its main sponsor. This is the 13th year that we have supported the race, committed to the sport and to the region. The entity is strengthening a historical relationship that dates back to 2012 and contributes to continuing to promote the race and the Itzulia internationally.
According to Iñaki Navarro, deputy general manager and director of the Northern Territory of Banco Sabadell, ‘it is important for Banco Sabadell to continue supporting this much-loved sport, so closely followed and deeply rooted among fans, as it represents a key part of our identity and commitment to the community’.
The Itzulia 2025 will pass through Alava, Navarre, Gipuzkoa and Biscay
Below, you can consult all the details of the race route that will take place in 6 stages through different provinces of the Basque Country:
1st Stage VITORIA-GASTEIZ / BASKONA-ALAVÉS (16.5 km)
The Itzulia 2025 will start with an individual time trial as it did last year. A 16.50 km stage that will start and finish at the Buesa Arena stadium in Vitoria-Gasteiz. The first half of the stage has several steep climbs with some small differences. The steep climb to the village of Arzubiaga will be a scoring stage, where the first winner of the mountain jersey will be decided. From the town of Lubiano, the terrain is favourable, making this part the fastest and most favourable for specialists. It is not a stage where big differences between the favourites are expected, but it will decide who the first leader of the Itzulia 2025 will be.
2nd Stage PAMPLONA-IRUÑA/ LODOSA (199.8 km)
This is this edition’s longest stage at nearly 200 km. The entire stage runs through Navarre, from Iruña to Lodosa. Throughout the stage, there are continuous climbs and descents, but only one third category pass. Barring a breakaway surprise, the stage could be decided by a sprint finish.
3rd Stage ZARAUTZ / BEASAIN (156.3 km)
It could be the stand-out stage along with stage 6. After two relatively easy stages, a very tough day is in store; although the route is not very long, it has 7 mountain passes with continuous climbs and descents. They are not too hard, as 5 of them are in the 3rd category, but they will certainly take their toll on the cyclists’ legs over the last kilometres.
4th Stage BEASAIN / MARKINA-XEMEIN (169.6 km)
There is no respite and we reach Bizkaia after 3 stages. The cyclists will once again have to deal with 7 mountain passes, including the 1st category Izua pass. This climb will undoubtedly determine who wins the stage and will even have an impact on the overall classification. The climb will not be raced on the main road or on the road from Krabelin to Arrate, but from the Matsaria industrial estate on a very narrow road between farmhouses with 20% gradients.
5th Stage URDUÑA / GERNIKA (172.4 km)
The fifth stage of the race reaches the town of Pello Bilbao, Gernika. The Bahrain-Victorious rider was involved in designing it. After setting off, riders will head towards Amurrio and then back to Urduña, before heading in the direction of Gernika. Along the way they will have to overcome 4 mountain passes and, towards the end, there are areas where they will have to get into the best possible position if they want to be in with a chance of winning the stage.
6th Stage EIBAR / EIBAR (153.6 km)
Eibar will once again be the last stop of the Itzulia Basque Country, starting and finishing in Plaza Unzaga. Over the 150 km, there will be 7 mountain passes, 3 of which are in the first category. In this edition, the extremely difficult Krabelin climb is at the beginning of the stage, so sneaking up from behind to win the txapela should not be ruled out. Some of the biggest changes compared to 2024 are two climbs to Trabakua, Gorla is no more, but Karabieta has been added to reach Bergara. Undoubtedly, a very exciting stage that will determine who wins the 2025 Itzulia.
