Tour of the Basque Country 2026 Route stage 4: Galdakao - Galdakao

Thursday 9 April – Eight climbs are on the menu on the Tour of the Basque Country stage from and to Galdakao, a suburb of Bilbao. Covering 167.2 kilometres and featuring 3,137 metres of climbing, the course is a dream for punchers, with the final kilometre rising at 9% to the line.

First published on 3 April 2026

The race opens with a 70-kilometre loop that takes the riders all the way to the Bay of Biscay. This section features five climbs, the first of which appears early on: Aretxabalgane, a 4.6-kilometre ascent averaging 5.4%. After a period of relative calm, the San Pelaio adds 5.6 kilometres at 4.4% to the mix. Immediately after the descent, the Jata also makes its mark, rising for 4.6 kilometres at 5.8%. At the summit, the riders have covered nearly 60 kilometres.

Via the Unbe (2.3 kilometres at 7%) and the uncategorised Santa Domingo (7 kilometres at 3.4%, with a much steeper first half) the riders return to the start town. There they get a taste of the finishing kilometre, which ramps up at 9%.

After crossing the finish line, the road continues to rise for some time on the Elorritxueta (also known as El Vivero). The first 4 kilometres are the steepest at 7.4%, but the sprint for the KOM points comes 3.9 kilometres later, making the Elorritxueta officially a 7.9-kilometre climb at 4.6%. There are still 60 kilometres remaining at the summit.

After the descent and a flat section, the riders tackle the Elorritxueta once again, but this time from the opposite side, making it a 4.3-kilometre ascent averaging 8.1%. After the summit they initially follow the same road as before, first downhill and then on the flat, before turning right to tackle the punchy Legina. The 3.2-kilometre climb at 7.7% tops out with 8.8 kilometres remaining.

Following the descent and 3 kilometres of flat roads, the finishing kilometre — as mentioned — rises at 9%.

The first three riders across the line gain 10, 6, and 4 bonus seconds, while the intermediate sprints offer 6, 4, and 2 seconds.

Fancy riding the route yourself? Download GPX 4th stage 2026 Tour of the Basque Country.

The 4th stage of the Tour of the Basque Country starts at 13:13 and the race is expected to finish around 17:30 - both local times (CEST).