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Last month we got to witness the Tour de France passing through the Basque Country for the first time in 12 years.

Luckily for us, that’s not the end of Basque sporting excitement this summer.

La Vuelta a España is just around the corner! It starts in Málaga on August 25th and finishes in Madrid on September 16th.

Started in 1935 after the successes of the Tour de France and the Giro d’Italia, La Vuelta is another multi-stage cycling race that runs throughout Spain and sometimes its neighboring countries.

The race takes place in 21 day-long segments over 23 days, just like the other Grand Tours of cycling.

RECOMMENDED READING The Comeback: Greg LeMond, the True King of American Cycling, and a Legendary Tour de France

 

Basque Route in Stage 17

You can catch glimpses of the Basque Country during Stage 17 of La Vuelta a España.

Stage 17 of La Vuelta on Wednesday, September 12th passes through the province of Bizkaia over 166 kilometers.

Starting in Getxo, cyclists will go through Bilbao and neighboring cities Portugalete Barakaldo. The race will then continue up the Alto de San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, near the famous hermitage recently used as a filming location for Game of Thrones and The Bachelorette.

The course then descends through Bermeo and Gernika, then back up the Alto del Balcón de Bizkaia, where cameras will most likely show us the Urdaibai Estuary Biosphere Reserve as well.

The stage will finish at Monte Oiz / Munitibar, one of the most prominent summits of the region at 3,115ft (950m) above sea level.

Riders will have to climb a gradient exceeding 20% over the short distance of 5 kilometers.

Sweet Jesus, I’ll be saying my prayers for them.

It is sure to be an exciting day for cycling.

But if you’re anything like me, you may not care for the racing as much as you do watching the spectators along the side of the road.

I’m looking forward to seeing all the flags and political signs people display on the day.

 

Are There Any Basques Competing in the 2018 Vuelta a España?

Absolutely!

In fact, there are so many Basque cyclists on the startlist that it would be too many for me to name here.

But especially keep an eye out for wild card team Euskadi-Murias.

Euskadi-Murias is filling the gap that was left in Basque cycling with Euskaltel-Euskadi folded in 2013.

Like Euskaltel-Euskadi before them, Euskadi-Murias is aiming to sign only Basque cyclists or riders who spent their amateur years on Basque teams.

Look out for their lime green jerseys in this year’s Vuelta a España.

 

Where Can I Watch La Vuelta a España?

US cable television network NBCSN will be airing coverage of La Vuelta.

You’ll be able to see the races both live and on demand streaming online through NBC Sports Gold and fuboTV Live.

Happy viewing!

Are you watching La Vuelta a España this year? Let us know in the comments what you enjoy most about it.

Continue Reading:

• Tour de France 2018 to Visit the Basque Country in Stage 20
• How the Basques Defeated Europe’s Greatest Army and How History Erased Them
• 9 Movies Filmed in the Basque Country