- The 62nd edition of the Itzulia will feature the best cyclists in the international peloton.
- Daniel Felipe Martínez to defend his title from last year.
- Presentation of new jersey designs.
The official presentation of the Itzulia Basque Country 2023 took place today at the Teatro Coliseo in Eibar. The event was attended by Jon Iraola, Mayor of Eibar; Gorka Iturriaga, Director of Physical Activity and Sport at the Basque Government; Itziar Mahave, Director of the Northern Territorial Commercial Network of Banco Sabadell; Goizane Álvarez, Director of Youth and Sports at the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa; Idoia Gonzalez, Marketing, Brand and Communication at TotalEnergies; Mikel Arrillaga, Head of Brand and Markets at HAZI among others.
Jon Iraola, mayor of Eibar, commented at the presentation that, “as mayor of a city so closely linked to cycling, in which the sport is part of our industrial and historical heritage, it is an honour to host the presentation of a cycling race as important as the Itzulia Basque Country 2023 at this Coliseum Theatre, and that Eibar is once again set to host the most decisive stage. Our city will once again be at the centre of the action, and witness the cyclists putting themselves to the test in one of the most demanding races. And this year it’s coming even closer, the finish line is right in the centre of town, with all the organisational and logistical challenges this entails. Eibar Town Council is committed to bringing such an important race on the annual cycling calendar to our city”.
Given the presence of local councils, institutions, sponsors and friends of the race, Julian Eraso took the opportunity to “thank everyone for their support, without which the race would not be possible. Following a few difficult years for all, it seems that we can once again enjoy cycling as we did before the pandemic. At this year’s race, we hope that our fans, amongst the best in the world, will fill the streets of Euskadi to support the cyclists as they have always done”.
Itziar Mahave of Banco Sabadell commented that the bank “maintains its commitment to the Itzulia. This will be the 12th year that the bank has supported this international benchmark cycling event.
For us, it is the most important event in the territory. The Itzulia has provided us with brand awareness in the Basque Country throughout these years. Via our Gran Premio BS sponsorship, we have managed to bring the organisation and cycling together in the Basque Country. Historically there has been a lot of support for cycling in the Basque Country and we will involve our customers in this great sporting event, as we do every year, and accompany us during every stage of a race that we feel is a part of us, the Itzulia”.
He ended by commenting that “banking and cycling share many values. Talent, individual effort and teamwork, which together enable you to go very far and achieve your goals. No curves or mountains can resist us. Being part of the Itzulia is a great source of pride and satisfaction for BS”.
The director of Physical Activity and Sport at the Basque Government, Gorka Iturriaga, highlighted the support given to the Itzulia by the institutions and stressed that “being on the most important cycling circuit means our race will also feature the best cyclists in the peloton. It will also provide us with an international showcase to show ourselves to the world, to reaffirm that we are a cycling country and that we know how to organise a top-level event that is such a part of us as the Itzulia. We have great professionals in the peloton, but we also have the best fans”.
Idoia Gonzalez, from TotalEnergies, responded that “at TotalEnergies we have always wanted to position ourselves very close to sport because we identify with the values associated with this type of activity. It also enables us to enhance our customer proximity in each region, providing us with a face and a voice. We are #laenergíadelascarreras and we want to be noticed. It is also a great showcase for our professional team, Team TotalEnergies, who bear our logo on their jerseys all over the world, and it is a luxury to have them here too”.
Dressing the champions
Gobik will once again dress the winners of the Itzulia. The 2023 edition includes four designs, the yellow jersey for the winner sponsored by Banco Sabadell, the mountain jersey (Eusko Label), the consistency jersey (Diputación Foral de Gipuzkoa) and the best young rider jersey (Euskadi Basque Country).
Six stages of the world’s best cycling
The Itzulia Basque Country 2023 will be held from 3 to 8 April between Vitoria-Gasteiz and Éibar over a total of six stages. The 62nd edition of the race will visit the towns of Vitoria-Gasteiz, Labastida, Viana, Leitza, Errenteria, Amasa-Villabona, Santurtzi, Amorebieta-Etxano and Éibar, covering 992.5 km.
Cyclists such as reigning Itzulia champion Daniel Felipe Martínez (Ineos Grenadiers), Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma), Olympic champion Richard Carapaz (EF Education – Easypost) are expected to start in Vitoria-Gasteiz on 3 April, and joined by: Enric Mas (Movistar Team), David Gaudu (Groupama-FDF), Adam Yates, Juan Ayuso and Brandon Mcnulty (UAE Team Emirates), Egan Bernal and Carlos Rodriguez (Ineos Grenadiers), Ion Izagirre (Cofidis), Mikel Landa, David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ), Brandon Mcnulty (UAE Team Emirates) and Peio Bilbao (Bahrain-Victorious), Simon Yates (Team Jayco Alula) among others.
Itzulia Basque Challenge
The first edition of the Itzulia bicycle touring event will take place on 9 April. Participants will be able to experience what it feels like to ride a World Tour-class event. There will be two routes, the first of which will be the same as the one ridden by the professionals in the main stage of the Itzulia. This route will be 137.8 kilometres long, with more than 3,600 metres of elevation gain. The riders will be put to the test on this tough route with its 7 mountain passes. The second, the Medium-distance, will be 80.6 km long and feature 2100 m of elevation gain, with 4 mountain passes, two of which are category 1, one is category 2 and the other category 2.
