Tour of the Basque Country 2024 Route stage 3: Ezpeleta – Altsasu

Climbing commences from the start on the Itsondo, an 8.2 kilometres toil with an average gradient of 5.7%. It’s a hard way to begin the day and the riders will wish for the breakaway to be formed at the first summit.

The route descends onto a flat phase and after almost 50 kilometres in the saddle the Usategieta Gaina presents a long, but relatively easy test – 11.2 kilometres at 3.2%. The descent is short and then it goes straight back up again on the 4.7 kilometers climb at 6.9% to Uitzi. The downhill goes to Lekunberri, where Rui Costa won a Vuelta stage last year. The Portuguese emerged victorious after the descent from the Zuarrarrate, which is now the next climb – 6.8 kilometres long and averaging 3.6%.

The Itzulia Basque Country descends to the valley of the Arakil and follows the river for tens of kilometres. After crossing the line for the first time with 67 kilometres to go the riders cross from Navarra into the Basque Country and fly down a 19 kilometers descent to Ihurre, at the base of the short haul up to Olaberria – 1.6 kilometres at 7.5%.

A short drop leads onto a prolonged false flat, which culminates in the 6.4 kilometres long ascent at 4.7% up the Lizarrusti. There are still 18.4 kilometres left to race at the summit. This section starts out with a downhil at moderate gradients and then continues on the flat to the intermediate sprint in Etxarri Aranatz and, utimately, the finish line in Altsasu.

The first three riders on the line gain times bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds, while both intermediate sprints come with 3, 2 and 1 seconds.

Ride the route yourself? Download GPX stage 3.

Another interesting read: results 3rd stage 2024 Tour of the Basque Country.

Tour of the Basque Country 2024 stage 3: route, profile, more

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route

profile

route finale

profile finale

Otsondo

Usategieta Gaina

Uitzi

Zuarrarrate

Olaberria

Lizarrusti

interactive map