Vuelta 2025 Favourites stage 11: Ardennes Classic, Basque Style

foto: Cor VosOr you could also say, the Clásica de San Sebastián transplanted to Bilbao. Stage 11 of La Vuelta is much shorter than a race like Liège–Bastogne–Liège. The riders take on 3,185 metres of climbing over 157.4 kilometres. (Slideshow route/profile)

Stage 11 serves up seven climbs, finishing with the Alto de Pike – 2.3 kilometres at 8.9% – before a fast descent to the line. From the summit, just 7.6 kilometres remain, most of it downhill.

That profile makes it a day tailor-made for punchy climbers with quick legs and a strong descent, whose teams will look to keep the break in check. On the otherhand, riders cut out for this kind of finale may also choose to go on the attack early and try to seal the deal from the break. The opening certainly lends itself to that, with the Alto de Laukiz – 3.9 kilometres at 4.7% – appearing right from the flag.

It hardly flattens out in the run-in to the explosive finale with the Alto de Pike. On top of the Alto de Laukiz straight out of the start, five more climbs stand out: the Alto de Sollube (7.2 kilometres at 4.2%, summit after 26.2 kilometres), the Balcón de Bizkaia (4.3 kilometres at 5.4%, summit after 63.2 kilometres), the Alto de Morga (8.2 kilometres at 3.5%, also cresting after 63.2 kilometres) and the Alto del Vivero (4.2 kilometres at 8.3%).

The Vivero is tackled twice, after 104.4 kilometres and again after 133.3 kilometres. Following the second passage, the riders hit roughly 10 kilometres of flat before the Alto de Pike looms into view.

Favourites 11th stage 2025 Vuelta a España

*** Andrea Bagioli, Marc Soler, David Gaudu, Junior Lecerf
** Tom Pidcock, Giulio Ciccone, Jonas Vingegaard, João Almeida
* Michał Kwiatkowski, Iván García, Wout Poels, Pablo Castrillo, Fausto Masnada

Another interesting read: route 11th stage 2025 Vuelta.