Just as Belgium is known for its cobbles and crosswinds, the Basque Country is known for its seemingly endless supply of steep punchy climbs. As a result, the Vuelta al Pais Vasco is a race tailor-made for the world’s most explosive climbing specialists—the guys you can always count on to attack just as the road reaches its steepest grade.

The 2018 parcours features 23 categorized climbs throughout the six-day stage race. That translates to one KOM line every 35 kilometers. While that may be unwelcome news for some racers browsing through the tech guide, it will provide an endless stream of climbing drama for the viewers at home. 

[Pais Vasco will stream live in the U.S. and Latin America on FloBikes, April 2-7, with daily replays. Sign up for PRO now.]

In stark contrast to the rest of the race, stage 4 is a pan-flat 19.4km time trial, which will force certain climbing specialists out of their element in their bid to win the overall title.

Any team defending the leader’s jersey on the final day will have a hard day at the office. Stage 6 features eight categorized climbs, two of which come in the first 20km, all of which is to say, it ain’t over ’til it’s over. Late-race GC shake-ups are a near certainty.

The Vuelta Pais Vasco is a race that is more often than not won by a Spaniard. In fact, Nairo Quintana is the only non-Spanish rider to win in the last five years. Defending champion Alejandro Valverde will not be in attendance; however, his Spanish Movistar team is coming prepared for a repeat victory. Here’s a look at the top contenders for the overall title.

Mikel Landa

UCI WorldTour Ranking: 47

Best Result in 2018: 6th GC Tirreno Adriatico

Best GC Finish at Vuelta Pais Vasco: 12 (2016)

Headlining Movistar’s roster is Mikel Landa. The Spanish rider seems to be transitioning well to his new leadership role at Movistar, coming off a stage win and sixth overall at Tirreno-Adriatico. Following two years as a super-domestique at Team Sky, Landa certainly has his eyes on personal objectives. What is yet to be seen is how he will share leadership duties with his new teammate Nairo Quintana. This is the first time the duo will race together in 2018. Will we see a pecking order established leading up to the Tour de France?

Nairo Quintana

UCI WorldTour Ranking: 33

Best Result in 2018: 2nd Volta Catalunya

Best Overall Finish at Vuelta Pais Vasco: 1st (2013)

The Colombian climber certainly is not bothered by the steep roads of the Basque Country, and his track record shows it. His worst result in the race is fourth place. Two foreseeable obstacles may prevent Quintana from from another top result this year: the stage 4 time trial, and his teammate Mikel Landa.

Richie Porte

UCI WorldTour Ranking: 17

Best Result in 2018: 2nd GC Santos Tour Down Under

Best Overall Finish at Vuelta Pais Vasco: 2nd (2013)

Porte has remained relatively anonymous since the Santos Tour Down Under this year. The Australian was forced to miss Tirreno-Adriatico due to an upper respiratory infection, so unlike many of his rivals, he has not raced since the middle of February. This leaves him as a bit of an unknown quantity going into the Vuelta Pais Vasco. This race has not been a component of his preparation for the Tour de France since 2013, but that is not to say the terrain does not suit him. If Porte can stomp up the Basque climbs like he did up Willunga Hill in January, he could well improve on his second-place finish five years ago.

Romain Bardet

UCI WorldTour Ranking: 35

Best Result in 2018: 2nd Strade Bianchi

Best Overall Finish at Vuelta Pais Vasco: 15th (2017)

The French climbing sensation is truly at home on small twisting mountain roads. He is not only only one of the best climbers in the peloton, but among the fastest descenders as well. The Basque climbs may be a bit shorter and more punchy than Bardet traditionally excels on, but he is not one to be counted out when the road turns uphill.

Michal Kwiatkowski

UCI WorldTour Ranking: 9

Best Result in 2018: 1st Tirreno Adriatico

Best Overall Finish at Vuelta Pais Vasco: 2nd (2014)

Egan Bernal was slated to lead Team Sky at Pais Vasco and would have been an outright favorite to win. Unfortunately the young Colombian suffered multiple fractures to his shoulder in the closing kilometers of Volta a Catalunya, which has left Team Sky down a rider.

The Spanish duo David de la Cruz and Jonathan Castroviejo may have free reign this week, and will likely roll very well in the time trial. However, the Polish one-day specialist turned heads less than a month ago by winning Tirreno-Adriatico. Kwiatkowski is no stranger to Pais Vasco, finishing second in the 2014 edition.

And let’s not forget that he began his professional career in 2010 riding for the Caja Rural team, stationed in the region bordering the Basque Country. If he comes off the Tour of Flanders well, he may well add to his GC palmares.

Vincenzo Nibali

UCI WorldTour Ranking: 11

Best Result in 2018: 1st Milan San Remo

Best Overall Finish at Vuelta Pais Vasco: 9 (2009)

Like Kwiatkowski, Nibali will find himself on the last flight of the day from Brussels to Bilbao, as the duo transfers from the finish line of the Tour of Flanders to arrive at the start line of Vuelta Pais Vasco the very next morning. The Italian has not raced the Vuelta Pais Vasco since 2009, where he finished ninth overall, but the Shark of Messina has already tasted blood this year. This aggressive race will surely suit him.

Rigoberto Uran

UCI WorldTour Ranking: 87

Best Result in 2018: 3rd GC Colombia Oro y Paz

Best Overall Finish at Vuelta Pais Vasco: 9th (2017)

Sometimes Uran rounds out the top 10 at races, and sometimes Uran gets second at the Tour de France. Uran is always there or thereabouts, but 2017 saw a renewed fire in the results of the soft spoken Colombian. His EF Education First Drapac p/b Cannondale team has confidence in him. What remains to be seen is if whether or not he will be on fire, or if this will be a tune-up race.

Pello Bilbao

UCI WorldTour Ranking: 251

Best Result in 2018: 7th GC Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana

Best Overall Finish at Vuelta Pais Vasco: 17th (2016)

Born in the Basque Region, Bilbao’s racing style is a direct product of the very terrain this race offers. Bilbao stepped up to Astana in 2017 following success as an aggressive climber on Caja Rural. Bilbao showed his GC potential in February at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana. Astana is now giving him free reign in his home race. Can he deliver?

Julian Alaphilippe

UCI WorldTour Ranking: 44

Best Result in 2018: 4th GC Abu Dhabi Tour

Best Overall Finish at Vuelta Pais Vasco: DNF (2017)

Alaphilippe is a capable climber and a punchy, aggressive racer. The Frenchman comes with the support of his Quick-Step Floors team and is certainly not one to be counted out of the fight. He has no prior success to speak of at the Vuelta Pais Vasco, but he has all the right traits to pull out a big ride.

Primoz Roglic

UCI WorldTour Ranking: 89

Best Result in 2018: 1st stage 3 Tirreno-Adriatico

Best Overall Finish at Vuelta Pais Vasco: 5th 2017

The peloton has learned the hard way that it needs to keep Roglic on a short leash. If he gets off the front in a hilly race, the peloton will probably not see him again. This has helped him to produce some big rides the last couple years. Following two stage wins at the Vuelta Pais Vasco in 2017, he took a huge stage win at the Tour de France. The Slovenian is not often talked about as a major GC contender, but this is the sort of race that could play right into his hands.

By Michael Sheehan; Images by TDW Sport