Tour of the Basque Country 2026 Route stage 1: Bilbao - Bilbao

Monday 6 April – The Tour of the Basque Country opens with an ITT for punchers. Immediately after the start, the riders tackle a 2.6-kilometre climb, and the race finishes on a short ramp of 600 metres. Over 13.9 kilometres, the route features an elevation gain of 240 metres.

First published on 27 March 2026

Immediately after leaving the start podium, the riders tackle the Santo Domingo climb. It’s a 2.4-kilometre ascent with an average gradient of 7.3%, including some sections that reach double digits. Halfway up, the road flattens briefly, so the rest of the climb is tougher than the average statistic suggests.

After reaching the summit, the riders descend for about 9 kilometres, and after 2 kilometres on the flat, they face a demanding finish in Etxebarria Park. It's a 600-metre ramp with a maximum gradient of 19% and an average of 8.3%.

The course is an exact copy of the ITT that opened the Tour of the Basque Country five years ago. Back then, Primoz Roglic powered to the first leader's jersey, covering the course in 17 minutes and 17 seconds. Brandon McNulty finished 2 seconds behind in second, with Jonas Vingegaard taking third, 18 seconds back.

Fancy riding the route yourself? Download GPX 1st stage 2026 Tour of the Basque Country.

Tour of the Basque Country 2026 stage 1: routes, profiles

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