Vuelta Stage 11 preview: Basque steep climbs will test GC riders
Wednesday’s racing delivers relentless climbs and should be a tough day for all
Sirotti
Stage 11 of the 2025 Vuelta a España dives straight into Basque climbing from the start in Bilbao. The opening Alto de Laukiz and Alto de Sollube are short but sharp, giving riders no chance to settle. A brief valley leads to the Balcón de Bizkaia, the same climb where Israel – Premier Tech’s Michael Woods claimed his first Grand Tour stage seven years ago. (In case you missed it, the Canadian will retire after this year after a long career.)
The toughest tests come in the final 60 km. The Alto del Vivero, with ramps exceeding 12 per cent, will sap energy before the intermediate sprint in Bilbao. Then comes the stage’s decisive moment: the punishing Alto de Pike. Its steep gradients, topping 11 per cent, come less than 10 km from the finish. That is followed by a technical descent and a slight uphill finish in Bilbao.
Warm, dry conditions should make for aggressive racing. It’s not the perfect course for Jonas Vingegaard, who took red during Stage 10, so he will have to use his Visma–Lease a Bike squad to prevent rivals like João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) or Tom Pidcock (Q36.5) from taking any time.
On Tuesday, after a well-deserved rest day, Jay Vine took the win, with Vingegaard taking the lead from Bahrain Victorious’s Torstein Træen by 26 seconds.
It should be an exciting stage from start to finish, so check out all the action on FloBikes.com. Afterwards, Canadian Cycling Magazine will have a report and analysis. ¡Vamoos!