Male Team 08 - 13 Apr
Itzulia Basque Country
781 Kilometers 6 Stages
The 2019 Vuelta al País Vasco will offer a richer parcours than ever. Combined with plenty of hills always making it one of the toughest races in the world and an individual time trial (11.2km) opening the event in Zumarraga on Monday 8th April, there will be a challenging, new-for-2019 route over gravel roads on Tuesday 9th. The peloton will ride on paths very close to the Movistar Team headquarters in en Egüés, the 149km stage two to Gorráiz -where the Blues stay every October to kick off their season- featuring six ‘sterrato’ sections inside the last sixty kilometers, the final one 16km from the end.
Starting on Wednesday 10th, the ‘Itzulia’ will be back to its essences. A small hill-top finish in Estibaliz will preceed the Zaratamo (Cat-3) climb, full of ups and downs, near the end of stage four (Thursday 11th) in Arrigorriaga. After that (Friday 12th), the famous Queen stage towards Arrate will include seven rated ascents, with 2x Ixua / Usartza (Cat-1) on an opposite order to last year’s stage: first up Matsaria and its tough slopes, then a more traditional side towards the Santuario.
To finish things off, a brutal, Basque-like 118km on Saturday 13th, over the ascents of San Miguel (Cat-3), Kalbario (Cat-3), Elkorrieta (Cat-3), Azurki (Cat-1), Karakate (Cat-1) and Asensio (Cat-2) before some further little slopes and short downhills before Eibar’s finishing straight. No easy days allowed in this region!