Itzulia Women 2025

The fourth edition of the Itzulia Women is scheduled for May 16-18 and once again delivers a start list that includes a heavy dose of the top climbers from the Women's WorldTour.

Itzulia Women Information

The three-day Itzulia Women made its debut in 2022. Taking in the mountainous terrain of the Basque Country in northern Spain, the event was organised by OCETA sports association which also runs the long-standing six-day Itzulia Basque Country men's stage race that is held in April. 

Once again in 2025, Itzulia Women falls on the calendar in the middle of an important block of Spanish stage races, La Vuelta Femenina by carrefour.es taking place May 4-10 and then Vuelta a Burgos Feminas scheduled May 22-25. All three events are on the Women’s WorldTour.

In 2022, Demi Vollering dominated the inaugural Itzulia Women by winning all three stages and the general classification. Pauliena Rooijakkers (Canyon-SRAM) was second, and Kristen Faulkner (Team BikeExchange-Jayco) was third.

In 2023, Team SD Worx continued their domination of Itzulia Women with Vollering winning the first two stages, but her teammate Marlen Reusser snatched the overall title with a solo attack to take the third stage. Vollering finished second overall, and Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-Sram) was third.

Last year, Vollering once again was back on the top step of the podium, winning the overall title ahead of her SD Worx teammate Mischa Bredewold and Team DSM's Juliette Labous. 

Join Cyclingnews' coverage of the 2025 Itzulia Women with race reports, results, photo galleries, news and race analysis.

Itzulia Women Contenders

Defending champion Demi Vollering has proven she is just as formidable a rival with her new FDJ-SUEZ team by rolling onto Itzulia Women fresh from winning La Vuelta Femenina. Last year after her efforts to claim victory at the opening Grand Tour she continued on the same way at Itzulia Women, and Vuelta a Burgos Feminas, so there is little doubt she is capable of continuing the roll but many teams and riders will be out to see if they can stop history repeating.

For a start there is SD Worx Protime with the returning Anna van der Breggen, who stood on the Vuelta Femenina podium alongside Vollering and also knows what it takes to claim the top step at Vuelta a Burgos, having claimed the overall victory in her last appearance at the event in 2021. She was at that point racing alongside the defending champion, who was third that year and the next before claiming the spot for the first time in 2023.

Yara Kastelijn (Fenix-Deceuninck) will be lining up for her debut at Itzulia after a strong showing at the seven-stage Vuelta Femenina, having delivered eighth overall, and then there is Movistar's Mareille Meijering who was riding in support of second-placed Marlen Reusser at Vuelta Femenina but was still a solid 14th. Mavi García (Jayco-AlUla) will be looking to make an impact on home soil, perhaps hoping for at least one more position up on the overall rankings after having just missed the podium last year.

Canyon-SRAM will be lining up with Cecilie Uttrup-Ludwig who returned to the action after her Classics block at Navarra on Wednesday, and Antonia Niedermaier, who last year finished sixth overall at both the Giro d'Italia Women and the Tour de Suisse. Gaia Realini is also back in the fray for Lidl-Trek, who have Shirin van Anrooij as a card too. However, while she was fifth overall at the race last year, Van Anrooij is still on the build back from iliac artery endofibrosis surgery.

Itzulia Women 2025 route

The 2025 Itzulia Women route, will ensure that the racing is charged straight away with the longest day of racing with the most altitude gain opening up the three-day event. the 148.5km from Zumarrage to Agurain has three categorised climbs but ends with a flat finish.

The 116km stage 2 from Ugao-Miraballes to Igorre has four categorised climbs – one cat. 2 and three cat. 3 – the last peaking 36km before the line but then two bonus sprints also unfold, giving the overall contenders a chance to knock back some extra seconds. 

The 112.6km stage 3 starting and finishing in Donostia mirrors the San Sebastián Classic, including the Jaizkibel climb from Lezo and then heading to the climb to Mendizorrotz from Orio before descending in the Donostia finish line. It is here that the final winner will be crowned after 377.1km of racing with ten classified mountain passes.

Itzulia Women start list

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Itzulia Women Schedule