45th Vuelta al Pais Vasco 2005: Results

45th Vuelta al Pais Vasco - PT

Spain, April 4-8, 2005

The Itzulia, as the Vuelta is known in the Basque language, is a five-day event that rolls up and down the country's steep green hills. After four days of continual leg sapping climbing, the last day is traditionally split between a shorter but crucial road stage and a short but usually decisive time trial. Although the ProTour sought at one point to have the race lengthened to six days, this year sees no change to the traditional format which passes through all of the Basque provinces - Giupuzkoa, Bizkaia, Araba and Navarra - that fall within the territory of Spain.

The race, of course, is a source of local pride with Basque riders, always out to prove themselves on their home turf. But it is also a keenly-sought crown in the jewels of any riders palmares, an important step in the preparation of many for the Ardennes Classics and the Giro d'Italia. Over what are effectively six stages, the peloton will face 20 categorised climbs and little respite. Day one kicks of in the seaside party and surfing town of Zarautz with a circuit that winds along the picturesque coastal road before cutting in land and crossing the Cat. 3 Meagas. The route laps this circuit three times before a final nasty ascent of the Cat. 2 Garate, which, although only 2kms in length, kicks in at 16% and summits 7kms before the plunge back to the beach.

Stage 2 heads out of Giupuzkoa and into Bizkaia. It commences with a couple of Cat. 3s, the Itziar and the Arieto, which rises out of Ermua and drops into the valley which the riders will follow down past Durango to Bilbao. After a sprint outside the Athletic Bilbao soccer ground, the race enters the Las Encartaciones region with its continual run of sharp pitches. This is a great day for an escape to make some time early, but they will have to fight to hold their lead over the Cat. 2, Arborleda, the nasty Cat. 3 Cobaron Cat. 3 and the 8.5km ascent to the finish on the Cat. 2, La Lejana.

Stage 3 takes the race out of Bizkaia through the territory of the GP Llodio, and into the plateau country of Araba. The climb up to the plateau is via the Cat. 2 La Barrerilla, which will be familiar to Ciclismo Euskadi camp-goers, as the winding climb up the rock face from Orduña back home to their base in Murgia. After that and before finishing in the Basque Government's capital in Vitoria-Gasteiz, the stage goes up two sides of the Cat. 2 Zaldiaran to the south in the Sierra, which forms the land border between the Basque Country and the wine producing area of la Rioja.

From Gasteiz, Stage 4 heads east towards Navarra and has a heap of difficult encounters along the entire route. The Cat. 1 Opakua falls early on and could be another launching pad for a break that will then have the Cat. 2 Urbasa, the Cat. 3 Altamira and two ascents including the final mountain top finish of La Cadena (Cat. 3). If that's not enough, the race's 'queen stage' will be fought over a mere 93 kms and will finish atop the beastly Cat. 2 Arantzazu, which, over its 8kms, kicks in at 10 percent plus before steadying out for a 6km grind of around 6%. This will be the last chance for the climbers to position themselves before the afternoons 9.3 km closing time trial in the ancient university city of Oñati. The race against the clock will be flat by Basque standards, but even then will have an altitude gain of 150 metres or so up and over the Alto de Olalde, before dropping back into town.

T-Mobile have already expressed their desire to do well in the Itzulia with their mixed bag of Germans, Kazakhs and Spanish. Dennis Menchov will front his new squad, Rabobank, for the event but has admitted that he isn't at the peak of form he was last year when he took the event from Iban Mayo and David Etxebarria. Etxebarria will line up alongside Roberto Heras and mark this attempt to take out the race by returning to the folds of Manolo Saiz at Liberty Seguros after being one of the stalwarts of Euskaltel-Euskadi in recent years.

For their part, the Orange Armada have been pretty quiet so far this year. It was in April and the Itzulia last year that Iban Mayo started his period of being on fire, coming second here and following it up with impressive victories in Asturias, Alcondendas and the Dauphiné Libéré. But Mayo has been quiet and taking it easy to date, and the Orange guy that seems to be on song or coming close with every ride is Mayo's teammate Haimar Zubeldia. Looking forward to the Giro and with over 10,000 kms of training in his legs already this season, Zubeldia told Cyclingnews that because of the change in his calendar, "I am coming to this race with a lot more form" than last year.