Tour of the Basque Country 2021 Route stage 2: Zalla - Sestao

Tour of the Basque Country 2021 Tuesday 6 April - At 154.8 kilometres, the 2nd stage of the Itzulia Basque Country leads on lumpy terrain from Zalla to Sestao. The last peak is crested with 14 kilometres remaining, while the home straight also points uphill.

The riders venture into the hills southwest of Bilbao. The start is in Zalla and the finish in Sestao, which is a Bilbao suburb. During the day the riders are within a radius of 30 kilometres from the most important city of the Basque Country.

The route takes in several hilly loops. Three climbs stand out - to San Cosme, to Bezi and La Asturiana. The latter ascend is expected to be crucial. It is 7.6 kilometres long and the average gradient sits at 6.2%, while the first half is extremely steep.

La Asturiana peaks 14 kilometres from the uphill finish. The riders fly down a descend and after 2 kilometres on the flat they enter a short and sharp finish climb.

The first three riders on the line gain times bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds, while two intermediate sprints - at kilometre 56.5 and 115.5 - come with 3, 2 and 1 seconds.

Another interesting read: results 2nd stage 2021 Tour of the Basque Country.

Tour of the Basque Country 2021 stage 2: route, profile, more