La Itzulia presents the complete tour of the 2023 edition

This February 15th, the Itzulia 2023 official route. The presentation was made to plenary hall of the Éibar City Council, town that will host the goal and which is named European City of Sport 2023. The 62nd edition of the race will not have any time trial stage and this increases the total number of kilometers that need to be collected before reaching the final finish line in Éibar.

Julian Eraso and Roberto Laiseka presented, with the mayor of Éibar, Jon Iraola, and the councilor for sports, Ander Curiel, the Itzulia 2023 route that will take place from April 3 to 8 and where 992.5 km will be traveled. The tour will cross Álava, Navarre, Gipuzkoa and Bizkaiain that order, ending in the center of Éibar.

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In this edition there will be 26 scoring mountain passes: 3 in the 1st category, 7 in the 2nd category and 16 in the 3rd category.

Roberto Laiseka, technical director of Itzulia reviews each stage:

1st Stage VITORIA/GASTEIZ-LABASTIDA 165.40 km

First stage of contact with Itzulia 2023 with the ascent of the Opakua pass, which will decide the first jersey of the mountain. From this point we took a narrow and very back road until we passed the Labastida sprint.

From this point, the wind can play a leading role. In theory, the stage is focused on deciding on the sprint.

2nd Stage VIANA-LEITZA 193.80 km

This longest stage of Itzulia, the first part until passing Leitza, is a good place for a breakaway. Entering the second part, this is a circuit where the leaders must be at the front because the roads are winding and the weather can be decisive because there is a very long descent.

3rd Stage ERRENTERIA-AMASA/VILLABONA 153.90 km

Stage with an expected very fast start where a large part of the Gipuzkoan coast is covered, entering from the road through Amasa-Villabona with a very slow footed circuit with narrow roads and ups and downs where there will be great tension in the peloton among those leaders may be leading it. To play a very explosive and difficult last kilometer until reaching Hika.

4th Stage SANTURTZI-SANTURTZI 175.70 km

Typical stage of Encartaciones territory with many ups and downs that are very favorable to escapes, entering the last part with the Asturiana pass and subsequent descent from Arboleda that can be decisive for the outcome as in previous years .

5th Stage AMOREBIETA/ETXANO-AMOREBIETA/ETXANO 165.90 km

Complex and appropriate stage for the directors to move their pawns, where regardless of the fact that there are no important ports until Paresi they will move to favorable terrain to test strategies towards the end, where we will enter a circuit where the first is very important to keep their options for the General classification.

6th Stage EIBAR-EIBAR 137.80 km

Itzulia’s Queen stage, an elite stage from the start and very demanding, where men in the general classification will be the main protagonists of the day.

It is very important to have a good team to control it, as seen in previous editions.