Maite Rosende received the Euskadi Literature Prize last year in the Literary Illustration category, and as in the previous eight editions, she has been commissioned to design this year’s Itzulia Basque Country poster.
With this initiative, the Department of Culture and Language Policy aims to revive the tradition of poster design and offer artists new opportunities and spaces to showcase their work.
The poster will be displayed at the Bilbao Fine Arts Museum.
The posters for this year’s Itzulia Basque Country and Itzulia Women have been unveiled. The races will take place from April 6-11 and May 15-17, respectively. For the past eight years, the Itzulia Basque cycling race poster has been designed by the winner of the Euskadi Literature Prize in the Literary Illustration category. This year, the winner, and therefore the poster’s creator, is Maite Rosende.
The Bilbao Fine Arts Museum hosted the presentation of the Itzulia poster this afternoon. Those present included the Deputy Minister of Culture, Andoni Iturbe; the president of OCETA (Basque Country Cycling Organization), the Itzulia’s organizing body, Javier Riaño; the artist, Maite Rosende; and the director of the Bilbao Fine Arts Museum, Miguel Zugaza.
Before the Spanish Civil War, renowned Basque artists created the race’s promotional images, many of which are preserved in the Bilbao Fine Arts Museum. In 2019, the Basque Government, in collaboration with the museum, decided to revive this tradition. Since then, the winner of the Euskadi Literature Prize in the Literary Works Illustration category has been responsible for designing the Itzulia poster, which is then displayed in the museum.
Maite Rosende explained that “the poster combines landscape and peloton, capturing the essence of the Itzulia. I wanted to create a simple and recognizable image, with strength and rhythm, that reflects the race’s identity.”
The Deputy Minister of Culture, Andoni Iturbe, highlighted the importance of “connecting sport and art through artistic creation, mutually reinforcing each other and making the project as a whole more socially visible.”
From the race organizing association, Javier Riaño emphasized that, “once again, the Itzulia has commissioned an artist to create the official race poster. Through Maite’s illustration, we can see the colorful peloton, the mountains of our region, and even the yellow jersey that distinguishes the leader. We are very happy to continue this collaboration where cycling and art come together.”
For his part, the director of the Bilbao Fine Arts Museum, Miguel Zugaza, highlighted the importance of the Itzulia maintaining its connection with artistic creation: “In this way, it embraces the long tradition that links it to poster design and illustration, while also contributing to a shared visual identity among fans.”
Thanks to this initiative, the Bilbao Museum now houses the designs of Yolanda Mosquera, Asisko Urmeneta, Miren Asiain, Javier Isusi, Maite Mutuberria, Joseba Larratxe, and David de las Heras, winners in the Illustration of Literary Works category of the Euskadi Literature Awards, and now Maite Rosende’s work has been added to the collection.
Maite Rosende (San Sebastián, 1991)
Maite Rosende creates through play and enjoys bringing her images to all kinds of media. Trained in ornamental painting and illustration, she has published several books in the field of children’s and young adult literature and has received various awards. Her work has been featured in the Iberoamérica Ilustra Catalog (Mexico, 2021-2023) and was selected for the Bologna Children’s Book Fair Illustrators Exhibition (2023). She is currently a member of the Gilda creative studio in San Sebastián.
In 2025, she received the Euskadi Literature Prize in the Literary Works Illustration category for Traba.
Itzulia Basque Country 2026
The Itzulia Basque Country 2026 will be held from April 6 to 11. This year’s edition will begin in Bilbao and finish in Bergara. There will be a total of six stages:
Stage: Bilbao – Bilbao
Stage: Pamplona – Mendukilo Caves
Stage: Basauri – Basauri
Stage: Galdakao – Galdakao
Stage: Eibar – Eibar
Stage: Goizper-Antzuola – Bergara
The route for the Itzulia Women, which will take place from May 15 to 17, has not yet been announced.
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