2024 Tour of the Basque Country | |
Race details | |
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Date | Early-April |
Region | Spanish Basque Country |
English name | Tour of the Basque Country |
Local name(s) |
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Discipline | Road |
Competition | UCI World Tour |
Type | Stage race |
Web site | www |
History | |
First edition | 1924 |
Editions | 63 (as of 2024) |
First winner | Francis Pélissier (FRA) |
Most wins |
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Most recent | 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]