Itzulia Basque Country 2024 – Stage 2 Preview
This is one of the few chances for the sprinters.
Route
A day where it goes up or down throughout the stage. It is business as usual in Basque Country. With 2100 climbing meters, we should see a bunch sprint – that will be slightly reduced.
The riders start in Irun before heading east. They then do a large lap around Kanbo, and as you can see above, they will cross the finish line there twice. It makes it easier for the teams to navigate the sprint later.
Finale
It starts 13.5 kilometers out. The riders have to tackle and non-categorized climb (1400m at 4.4%) before the descent starts. With 9 kilometers left, the riders have a bonus-sprint with 3, 2 and 1 seconds. A few small climbs start shortly after, before the descent until the right hand-turn in Kanbo. This descent will make the speed at the three small ramps extremely high as everybody would like to start the descent at the very front.
Here you have the last five more detailed.
Right hand turn after the descent with 2400 left. A short climb of 550m at 5% waits them.
Here you have the last kilometer. 350m at 6.7% before it flattens out. It will be tough.
Weather
It should stay dry, 18 degrees C and a tailwind finale.
Contenders
Aranburu – one of the local riders. He is always best on home soil. When I look at the team, I’m not certain he will be in the best position for the finale, and it will likely mean he has to burn a few matches on the hills to get into position. Still, a top-5.
Evenepoel – you know he will be sprinting. They don’t have a lot of power on the flat, Quick-Step, but they do have a strong set of climbers. I can only imagine he will go for the bonus seconds and he is likely quick enough to challenge for the win.
Roglic – welcome back, Primoz. He had me worried in Paris-Nice. We all know he too fancies a finale such as this, and he will hope the stage becomes more selective than it looks to be. He is quick enough to win.
Vauquelin – a fast rider who should finish in the top-10.
Schmid – 60th today was not impressive. I hope to see him in better shape tomorrow, it is a stage that suits him. He has the speed to contest for a very strong result.
Skjelmose – has he had the time to work on his sprint? I think he has. However, I don’t think he can win a stage like tomorrow, but a top-10 should almost be a certainty.
Ayuso – he is quick. Almost at the Evenepoel + Roglic sprint, I think I’d argue. It makes a top-10 very plausible.
Liepijns – one of the fastest here but the climbing is not something to his advantage. Top-10.
E. Hayter – fastest man here. Hayter got the late time today, as the team had GC hopes for Pidcock. Still, he finished 9th. It is a very good indication of his current form. The flat finale is perfect for him, had it risen to the the line, his chances would be worse.
Aular – A top-10.
Who will win?
I will take a win for Ethan Hayter. It is about time he finds a bit of success.
