Tour of the Basque Country

Also known as Itzulia Basque Country

cycling road race held in the Basque Country, Spain

Key facts

Date: Early-April
Region: Spanish Basque Country
English name: Tour of the Basque Country
Local names: Vuelta al País Vasco (in Spanish) Euskal Herriko itzulia (in Basque)
Discipline: Road
Competition: UCI World Tour
Type: Major one week stage race
Web site: www .itzulia .eus
First edition: 1924 ( 1924 )
Editions: 65 (as of 2026)
First winner: Francis Pélissier ( FRA )
Most wins: José Antonio González ( ESP ) Alberto Contador ( ESP ) (4 wins each)

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Article

The Tour of the Basque Country (Officially: Itzulia Basque Country) 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%.

History