The Tour of the Basque Country 2022 It ends next Saturday, April 9, with a route and a lineup of favorites that promises emotions.
Without the rivalry of his compatriot Tadej Pogacarwho in the end has chosen not to travel to Itzulia, Roglic will try to repeat his manifest superiority in 2021, when he added his second victory in the Basque UCI WorldTour race beating, among others, the winner of the last two Tour de France.
To win his third ‘txapela’, the leader of the Jumbo Visma will have a great team, in which they also stand out jonas vingegaard and sepp kussand with a route that favors you.
ITZULIA ROUTE 2022
Dominator of all the race profiles in a stage lap, Roglic could wear the yellow jersey from the first day, an individual time trial with start and finish in Hondarribia. A 7.5-kilometre route with a Third Category scoring port (San Cosme, Km.3.1) and two slopes with ramps of up to 12 percent.
Also striking on the route are the third and fifth stages, with explosive finishes, and, above all, the final fireworks of the last stage in Eibar with seven climbs and the only three First Class climbs of the entire race.
Those climbs with those of Azurki (5.1 km at 7.4 percent), Krabelin (4.1 at 10) and Usortza (4.5 at 8.8), the last one at 2,500 meters from the finish line. Krabelin and Usortza are climbed to Arrate by different slopes.
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Of the third stage, between Laudio and Amurrio, the final double chained by Opellora (3rd; 1.1 to 13) and Ozeka (2nd; 3.5 to 7.4) stands out on winding, narrow roads with hardly any flat in the that placement will be key.
And from the fifth, the second day in hardness, the final ramp at 16 percent that puts an end in Mallabia to a route with five scoring ports and several more climbs that are not.
The fourth could also give game with two passes through the Nursery, the last (2nd; 6 to 6.3) at 20 kms. from the finish line in Zamudio, and the Urruztimendi wall (2nd; 1,900 meters to 11) another 20 kms. before.
The second stage, ending in Viana, encourages us to think of a final sprint, if not massive, yes with a large group of runners.
In total, it will be 882.2 kms. of route and a total of 25 high scoring: three of First, nine of Second and 13 of Third.
THE STAGES OF THE ITZULIA 2022
Stage 1 (April 4): Hondarribia – Hondarribia (7.5 kilometers (CRI))
Stage 2 (April 5): Leitza – Viana (207.9 kilometres)
Stage 3 (April 6): Laudio – Amurrio (181.7 kilometres)
Stage 4 (April 7): Vitoria – Zamudio (185.6 kilometres)
Stage 5 (April 8): Zamudio – Mallabia (163.8 kilometres)
Stage 6 (April 9): Eibar – Arrate (High) (135.7 kilometres)
FAVORITES ROUND BASQUE COUNTRY 2022
In addition to Roglic and the Jumbo, and without the classics Mikel Landa and Alexander Valverde in the list, the Quick Step of the world champion stands out in the pre-registration of the race Julian Alaphilippe and Remco Evenepoeland the Ineos Grenadiers of Geraint Thomas, Adam Yachts and the promising Carlos Rodriguez.
Also the Bahrain of Pello Bilbao (Mader), the UAE of the exciting John Ayuso (Majka, McNulty, Soler), the Movistar of Enrique Morethe Cofidis of Ion Izaguirrewinner in 2019, the Bora de Sergio Higuita (Buchmann, Grosschartner), the BikeExchange of Tsgabu Grmay, the Israel of Michael Woodsthe Groupama of David Gaudithe Trek (Juanpe López) and the EF of jonathan caicedo (Camargo, Padun).
The work of the national ProTeams, Euskaltel-Euskadi (Azparren, Bizkarra), Caja Rural (Snow), Burgos BH (Daniel Navarro) and Kern Pharma (Carter and young Igor Arrieta), will be to animate the race with the daily breakaways that precede the key moments, although always with the aim of giving the bell.
ITZULIA WINNERS 2022
2021. Primoz Roglic (ESL)
2020. It was not played due to the pandemic.
2019. Ion Izaguirre (ENG)
2018. Primoz Roglic (ESL)
2017. Alexander Valverde (ENG)
2016. Alberto counter (ENG)
2015. Joaquim ‘Purito’ Rodriguez (ENG)
2014. Alberto counter (ENG)
2013. Nairo Quintana (COL)
2012. Samuel Sanchez (ENG)
2011. Andreas Kloden (ALE)