The Itzulia presents Enric Mas with the opportunity to prove himself

Without superstars, the Itzulia 2025, which takes place between April 7 and 12, presents itself as an uncertain race, which, combined with the always challenging terrain of the Basque Country, makes the range of possible winners wide, which, on the other hand, is a blessing for the fan who will surely be able to enjoy a great spectacle.

Favorites to win the Itzulia 2025

This year we do not find Pogacar, Roglic, or Vingegaard in the Tour of the Basque Country, which may, at first glance, leave this Itzulia 2025 a bit lacking. However, it gives other cyclists the opportunity to show that they have the level required for these one-week races and surely serves to boost the morale of some of them for the upcoming Grand Tours.

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That is why a cyclist like Enric Mas, who has not been able to raise his arms since he did it in the Giro dell'Emilia in 2022, is facing a unique opportunity to demonstrate the class he possesses. However, Movistar Team will have a plan B in the form of a constantly growing Pablo Castrillo.

The Mallorcan will not have it easy as he will have to face cyclists who have already shown good strength this season, such as Joao Almeida, to whom UAE Team Emirates-XRG has provided a solid lineup including names like Igor Arrieta, Isaac del Toro, or a disruptive element like Marc Soler. It should also be noted that the route marked by the time trial of the first stage is perfect for the Portuguese to gain an advantage from the start that cannot be cut by the rest of the contenders.

Also interesting is the team presented by Bahrain-Victorious with the always reliable Pello Bilbao, who feels at home on the roads of his land, and the tenacious Santiago Buitrago.

It is also important to consider the Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe team with multiple alternatives. Just look at the names they have: Florian Lipowitz, Daniel Felipe Martínez, Roger Adriá, or Alexandr Vlasov, quite a lineup.

Finally, although the campaign has started somewhat irregularly, we cannot forget to include Sepp Kuss, whose style fits perfectly with the Basque Country's mountainous terrain.

Itzulia 2025 Route

6 stages, to be held between April 7 and 12, make up the route of this Itzulia 2025, which offers a bit of everything, although, as always, the medium mountains and winding roads of the Basque Country will set the tone for a race that usually provides a good spectacle.

The race will start, as has been customary in recent years, with an individual time trial in the surroundings of Vitoria, covering 16.5 kilometers, a sufficient distance to establish differences that can mark the general classification from the beginning. If we add that it has a completely flat route where specialists can take great advantage, the Itzulia organization risks the race being almost decided from the first day.

The second stage will take the peloton from Pamplona to Lodosa on a slightly hilly route, not very demanding, so a sprint finish is expected. A prelude to the third stage, between Zarautz and Beasain, which is shaping up to be the first key day of this Itzulia 2025 with no less than 7 ascents, among which the last two, Gainza and Lazkaomendi, stand out, the latter just 6 kilometers from the finish, with steep ramps.

From Beasain, the race will head to Markina with a route that redefines the usual Arrate stage. This time, the finish line is not at the sanctuary but only ascends, as a dessert to a hilly day, the Izua pass, whose summit is located 11 kilometers from the finish.

The race will have a new transition stage in the fifth stage, which, although it moves through medium mountain terrain again, the demanding route that connects Orduña with Gernika suggests that it could be a stage suitable for a high-level breakaway to mark the day, with the contenders for the final classification saving energy for the last and decisive stage.

A final stage, starting and finishing in Eibar, which will once again be a festival of climbs, with a total of 7 categorized climbs, including the ascent to Krabelin at just over 100 km from the finish, one of the climbs towards Arrate known for its extremely steep ramps, and, towards the end, a new ascent to Izua, from its classic side from Eibar, which will lead to a finish that usually offers exciting pursuits.

How to watch the Itzulia 2025

Eurosport and Max will once again faithfully broadcast the Itzulia, joined by the race signal producer, the regional channel ETB, both through their television channels and their online platform EITB. These broadcasts can be watched from today until next Saturday between 3:00 PM and 6:00 PM, with several reruns in the afternoon and before the stage of the day.