Tour of the Basque Country 2026: Route

The Tour of the Basque Country starts this coming Monday and finishes on Saturday 11 April. The riders face plenty of climbing, often at brutal gradients, but there are no long finishing climbs. Instead, the finish line is placed several times on punchy uphill ramps. Over six days, the riders tackle 16,291 metres of climbing on an 809.6-kilometre route.

First published on 27 March 2026

Characteristics: 100% climbers’ race
Key stages: 1, 2, 5 and 6
Favourites: Isaac del Toro, Juan Ayuso, Paul Seixas, Primoz Roglic, Ben Healy
Title holder: João Almeida
Record holders: Alberto Contador, José Antonio González (4 overall wins)

Stage-by-stage breakdown of the 2026 Tour of the Basque Country

[Click on the italicised links for detailed stage descriptions]

Stage 1 - 13.9 kilometres, 240 metres of climbing
The Tour of the Basque Country opens with an individual time trial in Bilbao. Shortly after the start, the riders tackle a 2.4-kilometre climb at 7.3%. The descent then takes the riders onto a finishing ramp of 470 metres at 9.2%.

Stage 2 - 164.1 kilometres, 3,268 metres of climbing
On the second day, the riders travel from Pamplona to the Caves of Mendukilo. After four intermediate climbs, the road rises in a rolling fashion over 3.5 kilometres to the finish. Featuring two ramps at 12% and averaging 8%, the final kilometre is the steepest.

Stage 3 - 152.8 kilometres, 2,824 metres of climbing
Basauri serves as both the start and finish for a hilly race with several flatter sections - at least by Basque standards. The route forms a large loop south of the town, featuring three climbs that count for KOM points. The finish is set on a short ramp of 400 metres at 8.8%.

Stage 4 - 167.2 kilometres, 3,137 metres of climbing
On the fourth day, the riders tackle several loops around the start and finish town of Galdakao. Along the way, they crest a total of eight hills. The summit of the final climb comes 8.8 kilometres from the finish. The riders then plunge down towards the wall-like final kilometre, which rises at 9%.

Stage 5 - 176.2 kilometres, 3,841 metres of climbing
The centrepiece of the Tour of the Basque Country comes on Saturday. The riders face not only the most climbing but also the toughest ascents. Between the start and finish in Eibar, they tackle nine climbs, often at extreme gradients. The last summit comes with 12.5 kilometres remaining, after which the descent leads onto a false flat thar runs all the way to the finish.

Stage 6 - 135.4 kilometres, 2,981 metres of climbing
The final stage serves up the raw material for a compact showpiece. Although it is the shortest race of the six days, the amount of climbing is impressive. The riders face six ascents, notably with the first five packed into the first 100 kilometres. Riders looking to stir things up in the Basque Country on the final day will want to attack early!