Stage 1 //Saturday, 1 July Bilbao > Bilbao //182km //Rolling
From the start in Bilbao – a historic, industrial city that frequently hosts the Vuelta a España and Itzulia Basque Country – the peloton heads north deeper into Basque country and the Bay of Biscay via Santurtzi, the hometown of Ineos Grenadiers’s Omar Fraile.
On their journey east along the coast, they will climb out of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, a striking island fortress that featured in the TV series Game of Thrones.
The final 60 kilometres sees four climbs, three categorised, with each one progressively harder. Côte de Pike tops out just 7.5km from the line, and then the final kilometre in Bilbao ramps skywards too.
What to expect
The parcours means a wide variety of riders are in with a shout of winning and getting their hands on the race’s first yellow jersey. As such there will be plenty of teams willing to control the gap to the break, and then bring it back. Yes, it’s doomed to fail.
But consistent gradients above 15% in the final kilometre of Côte de Pike means the GC hopefuls and stage-win dreamers will all be fighting to be at the front. Cue a nervous bunch and a first glimpse of the form of the big-name riders.
Stage 2 //Sunday, 2 July Vitoria-Gasteiz > San Sebastián //208.9km //Hilly
Beginning in Vitoria-Gasteiz, the second most populous city of the Basque Country, once the riders descend off the high plateau after an hour of racing, they’ll be confronted with a series of undulations that the region is famed for.
As they approach the coast, the Côte de Gurutze will act as a final leg-warmer before they climb the eastern side of the 8.1km Jaizkibel climb, a dramatic ascent that every year helps shape the outcome of the Clásica San Sebastián. Seventeen kilometres after cresting the summit, the stage finishes along the marvellous Playa de la Concha.
Expect San Sebastián to be heaving. It’s a hugely popular holiday destination with world-famous food (there are eight Michelinstarred restaurants), a gothic centre, long golden sand beach, turquoise sea and hospitable people.
What to expect
The beautiful scenery of rich green forests and rolling hills will please the viewers at home, but for the riders it’s going to be a tough, nervous day on the infamous narrow roads that País Vasco is renowned for. The Jaizkibel starts with 25km to go, and the pace on the climb will be ferocious in order to get rid of the sprinters, but there’s possibly too much flat road still to ride after it to favour a lone attacker or small group staying clear, so it’s more likely that a reduced sprint will contest the finish.
