Tour of the Basque Country

Last updated
Tour of the Basque Country
Cycling current event.svg 2024 Tour of the Basque Country
Tour of the Basque Country logo.svg
Race details
DateEarly-April
Region Spanish Basque Country
English nameTour of the Basque Country
Local name(s)
  • Vuelta al País Vasco (in Spanish)
  • Euskal Herriko itzulia (in Basque)
Discipline Road
Competition UCI World Tour
Type Stage race
Web site www.itzulia.eus OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
History
First edition1924 (1924)
Editions63 (as of 2024)
First winnerFlag of France.svg  Francis Pélissier  (FRA)
Most wins
Most recentFlag of Spain.svg  Juan Ayuso  (ESP)

The Tour of the Basque Country (Officially: Itzulia Basque Country) [1] is an annual road cycling stage race held in the Spanish Basque Country in April. It is one of the races that make up the UCI World Tour calendar. As the Basque Country is a mountainous area, there are few flat stages, and thus the event favors those who are strong climbers. The race is characterized by its short stages, rarely exceeding 200 km, and steep ascents. While the ascents featured in the race are not particularly high compared to other stage races, they are among the steepest seen in professional cycling, some having sections with gradients reaching well above 20%. [2]

Contents

History

The original Tour of the Basque Country had a troubled history, with eight editions contested between 1924 and 1935, before the Spanish Civil War seemingly wiped it out for good. One of these early editions is commentated on in Ernest Hemingway's 1926 novel The Sun Also Rises .

In 1952, the Eibar Cycling Club (erstwhile backers of Spain's first national stage race, the pre-Vuelta a España Gran Premio República) launched a new 3-day event called Gran Premio de la Bicicleta Eibarresa to celebrate its 25th anniversary. Former French national champion Louis Caput took the inaugural edition.

In 1969, organizers opted to promote the race (by then five stages long) as IX Vuelta al País Vasco - XVIII Bicicleta Eibarresa, effectively merging the Bicicleta Eibarresa into a reborn Tour of the Basque Country. However, the palmares of the Bicicleta Eibarresa (featuring Vuelta a España winners Jesús Loroño and Rolf Wolfshohl) is not recognized as part of the Tour of the Basque Country's history. The Eibar Cycling Club would relinquish control of the competition following the 1973 edition, while retaining the rights to the Bicicleta Eibarresa name, which has sporadically been reactivated to help promote other, lower ranked events.

The first winner of the Tour of the Basque Country was Francis Pélissier from France, while the first winner of the 'modern' Tour (1969) was Jacques Anquetil, also of France. The most successful riders in the history of the Tour are Spain's José Antonio González, who won the race four times in 1972, 1975, 1977 and 1978, and Spain's Alberto Contador, who also won the race four times in 2008, 2009, 2014 and 2016. Since its revival in 1969, it has been held every year with the exception of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

From 2022, the race has a counterpart in the UCI Women's World Tour - the Itzulia Women.

The winner traditionally dons a basque beret on the podium.

Winners

Source: [3]

YearCountryRiderTeam
1924 Flag of France.svg  France Francis Pélissier
1925 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium Auguste Verdyck
1926 Flag of Luxembourg.svg  Luxembourg Nicolas Frantz
1927 Flag of France.svg  France Victor Fontan
1928 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium Maurice De Waele
1929 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium Maurice De Waele
1930 Flag of Spain (1785-1873, 1875-1931).svg  Spain Mariano Cañardo
1931–
1934
No race
1935 Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg  Italy Gino Bartali
1936–
1968
No race
1969 Flag of France.svg  France Jacques Anquetil
1970 Flag of Spain (1945-1977).svg  Spain Luis Pedro Santamarina
1971 Flag of Spain (1945-1977).svg  Spain Luis Ocaña
1972 Flag of Spain (1945-1977).svg  Spain José Antonio González
1973 Flag of Spain (1945-1977).svg  Spain Luis Ocaña
1974 Flag of Spain (1945-1977).svg  Spain Miguel María Lasa
1975 Flag of Spain (1945-1977).svg  Spain José Antonio González
1976 Flag of Italy.svg  Italy Gianbattista Baronchelli
1977 Flag of Spain (1977-1981).svg  Spain José Antonio González
1978 Flag of Spain (1977-1981).svg  Spain José Antonio González
1979 Flag of Italy.svg  Italy Giovanni Battaglin
1980 Flag of Spain (1977-1981).svg  Spain Alberto Fernández
1981 Flag of Italy.svg  Italy Silvano Contini
1982 Flag of Spain.svg  Spain José Luis Laguía Reynolds
1983 Flag of Spain.svg  Spain Julián Gorospe Reynolds
1984 Flag of Ireland.svg  Ireland Sean Kelly Skil–Reydel–Sem–Mavic
1985 Flag of Spain.svg  Spain Pello Ruiz Cabestany Seat–Orbea
1986 Flag of Ireland.svg  Ireland Sean Kelly Kas
1987 Flag of Ireland.svg  Ireland Sean Kelly Kas
1988 Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands Erik Breukink Panasonic–Isostar–Colnago–Agu
1989 Flag of Ireland.svg  Ireland Stephen Roche Fagor–MBK
1990 Flag of Spain.svg  Spain Julián Gorospe Banesto
1991 Flag of Italy.svg  Italy Claudio Chiappucci Carrera Jeans–Tassoni
1992 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Switzerland Tony Rominger CLAS–Cajastur
1993 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Switzerland Tony Rominger CLAS–Cajastur
1994 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Switzerland Tony Rominger Mapei–CLAS
1995 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Switzerland Alex Zülle ONCE
1996 Flag of Italy.svg  Italy Francesco Casagrande Saeco–AS Juvenes San Marino
1997 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Switzerland Alex Zülle ONCE
1998 Flag of Spain.svg  Spain Íñigo Cuesta ONCE
1999 Flag of France.svg  France Laurent Jalabert ONCE–Deutsche Bank
2000 Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Andreas Klöden Team Telekom
2001 Flag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania Raimondas Rumšas Fassa Bortolo
2002 Flag of Spain.svg  Spain Aitor Osa iBanesto.com
2003 Flag of Spain.svg  Spain Iban Mayo Euskaltel–Euskadi
2004 Flag of Russia.svg  Russia Denis Menchov Illes Balears–Banesto
2005 Flag of Italy.svg  Italy Danilo Di Luca Liquigas–Bianchi
2006 Flag of Spain.svg  Spain José Ángel Gómez Marchante Saunier Duval–Prodir
2007 Flag of Spain.svg  Spain Juan José Cobo Saunier Duval–Prodir
2008 Flag of Spain.svg  Spain Alberto Contador Astana
2009 Flag of Spain.svg  Spain Alberto Contador Astana
2010 Flag of the United States.svg  United States Chris Horner Team RadioShack
2011 Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Andreas Klöden Team RadioShack
2012 Flag of Spain.svg  Spain Samuel Sánchez Euskaltel–Euskadi
2013 Flag of Colombia.svg  Colombia Nairo Quintana Movistar Team
2014 Flag of Spain.svg  Spain Alberto Contador Tinkoff–Saxo
2015 Flag of Spain.svg  Spain Joaquim Rodríguez Team Katusha
2016 Flag of Spain.svg  Spain Alberto Contador Tinkoff
2017 Flag of Spain.svg  Spain Alejandro Valverde Movistar Team
2018 Flag of Slovenia.svg  Slovenia Primož Roglič LottoNL–Jumbo
2019 [4] Flag of Spain.svg  Spain Ion Izagirre Astana
2020No race due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2021 [5] Flag of Slovenia.svg  Slovenia Primož Roglič Team Jumbo–Visma
2022 [6] Flag of Colombia.svg  Colombia Daniel Martínez Ineos Grenadiers
2023 Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark Jonas Vingegaard Team Jumbo–Visma
2024 Flag of Spain.svg  Spain Juan Ayuso UAE Team Emirates

Multiple winners

WinsRiderEditions
4Flag of Spain.svg  José Antonio González  (ESP) 1972, 1975, 1977, 1978
Flag of Spain.svg  Alberto Contador  (ESP) 2008, 2009, 2015, 2016
3Flag of Ireland.svg  Sean Kelly  (IRL) 1984, 1986, 1987
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Tony Rominger  (SUI) 1992, 1993, 1994
2Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Maurice Dewaele  (BEL) 1928, 1929
Flag of Spain.svg  Luis Ocaña  (ESP) 1971, 1973
Flag of Spain.svg  Julián Gorospe  (ESP) 1983, 1990
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Alex Zülle  (SUI) 1995, 1997
Flag of Germany.svg  Andreas Klöden  (GER) 2000, 2011
Flag of Slovenia.svg  Primož Roglič  (SLO) 2018, 2021

Most stage wins

#RiderStage wins
1Flag of Spain.svg  Domingo Perurena  (ESP)11
Flag of Ireland.svg  Seán Kelly  (IRL)11
3Flag of France.svg  Laurent Jalabert  (FRA)9
4Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Tony Rominger  (SUI)8
Flag of Spain.svg  Samuel Sánchez  (ESP)8
6Flag of Spain.svg  Alberto Contador  (ESP)7
7Flag of Spain.svg  Miguel María Lasa  (ESP)6
Flag of Spain.svg  Joaquim Rodriguez  (ESP)6
Flag of Spain.svg  Alejandro Valverde  (ESP)6
9Flag of Spain.svg  José Antonio González Linares  (ESP)5
Flag of Italy.svg  Stefano Zanini  (ITA)5
Flag of Slovenia.svg  Primož Roglič  (SVN)5

Wins per country

WinsCountry
28Flag of Spain.svg  Spain
7Flag of Italy.svg  Italy
5Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Switzerland
4Flag of France.svg  France
Flag of Ireland.svg  Ireland
3Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium
2Flag of Colombia.svg  Colombia
Flag of Germany.svg  Germany
Flag of Slovenia.svg  Slovenia
1Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark
Flag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania
Flag of Luxembourg.svg  Luxembourg
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands
Flag of Russia.svg  Russia
Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States

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References

  1. Spanish: Vuelta al País Vasco, Basque : Euskal Herriko Itzulia
  2. Middendorp, Koen. "Voorbeschouwing: Ronde van Het Baskenland 2019". Wieleflirts. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  3. "Itzulia Basque Country past winners 1924 to 2021". cyclingnews.com. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  4. Ryan, Barry (13 April 2019). "Tour of the Basque Country 2019: Stage 6 Results". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  5. "Primoz Roglic wins Itzulia Basque Country". cyclingnews.com. 10 April 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  6. Fletcher, Patrick (9 April 2022). "Daniel Martínez wins Itzulia Basque Country". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 12 April 2022.