Vuelta al Bidasoa a test for the climbers
After the first stage race in Extremadura where Pablo García achieved a partial victory as well as fifth place in the general classification, the team faces from Friday to Sunday the second round of the season. The team will travel to the Basque Country to compete in the 50th edition of the Vuelta al Bidasoa.
The squad, formed by seven cyclists, will count with Dario Giuliano and Samuel Novak. Both riders are in great form after finishing among the best classified riders in the last Clasica Torredonjimeno. Both the Frenchman and the Slovakian will take part in their first stage race in the category. They will be accompanied by a strong team made up of the Bessega brothers, Gabriele and Tommaso, Gabriele Raccagni, Manuel Sanroma and Balint Feldhoffer.
The first stage of the three to be contested will be the only one with a mountain finish, although the rest of the days will not be less demanding. Starting in Irun and finishing in Ibardingo Lepoa (6.2km-5%), the first stage will be the longest of this edition. 134 kilometres and two climbs before the summit finish; Piedad (3rd) two times, as well as a false flat terrain, will be the stage where the first battle of the race will take place.
The second day will cover 130 kilometres, starting in Hendaia and finishing in Honbarribia. In a relatively easy first part of the race, similar to the one of the previous day, the cyclists will only have one climb, Ziga (3rd), although there will be a more demanding climb just before. Towards the end of the stage, the highlight of the day will come. The climb to Jaizkibel (1st) and its descent directly to the finish line in Hondarribia will dictate the stage’s verdict.
The third and final stage will be the shortest with 100 kilometres starting and finishing in Irun, but it will also be the ‘queen’ stage with three first category passes and two second category passes. After the climb to Guadalupeko Santutegia, which will not count towards the king of the mountain classification, the peloton will tackle the climbs to Arkale (2nd), Arritxulegi (1st), Agiña (1st), San Martzial (2nd) and the closest to the finish line and the last pass of the race: Erlaitz (1st).
Rafael Díaz Justo will be at the controls of the team in the Basque race before travelling to France. The experience of having won the race twice before will be key for the 2024 race: “In the past Bidasoa had five days of competition and now with three it is less hard. We have a great team with two outstanding cyclists. Dario is our strongest man in terms of route, form and characteristics. The rest of the riders will come with the role of working”.
The stage race finishes three days before the start of the Ronde de l’Isard and the Copa de España in Legazpi, which has conditioned the configuration of the team: “We have had to configure the team in this way because it practically coincides with the Ronde de l’Isard where almost all the climbers will be. The race is very compact over the three days, where perhaps the second day is the least demanding, despite the climb to Jaizkibel with the descent straight to the finish”.
The team won the 2018 edition, finished third in 2019 and in 2022 took first and third place on the podium: “We have a good team and experience to compete for the overall, although I don’t rule out the fight for the stages. I think that what happens on the first day can mark the development in the rest of the race. It’s true that in 2019 we lost the overall and in 2022 we won it on the last day”.
Stage 1: Irun – Ibardingo Lepoa (134km)
Stage 2: Hendaia – Hondarribia (130km)
Stage 3: Irun – Irun (100km)
Photos by Eriz Fraile
