Favorites stage 2 Tour of the Basque Country 2025 | Can Nys and Visma | Lease a Bike challenge the Pocket Rocket?
Cycling
After the opening time trial of the Tour of the Basque Country, won by Max Schachmann (Soudal Quick-Step), it is time for a relatively easy stage on day two. The riders will face a 200-kilometre journey between Pamplona and Lodosa, which IDLProCycling.com will try to explain to you in more detail.
Route stage 2 Tour of the Basque Country 2025
On paper, the least difficult stage of the week is on Tuesday. But it cannot be called a real sprinters' stage because most of the fastest men will understandably not be at the start of the Basque race. After a hilly start from Pamplona, there is a flat middle section, but the last 80 kilometers are constantly up and down.
The climbs don't last long and are not too tough, but enough to considerably reduce the size of the peloton. A sprint is possible, but don't count out the breakaway riders. Because the Basque Country isn't exactly brimming with fast riders either, those with a long straight final stretch in Lodosa will get an arrival ideally suited to them.
Climbs
56.5 km: Alto de la Oliva (4.9 km a 4.5%)
Times
Start: 12:49 PM local time (06:49 AM EDT)
Finish: approx. 5:30 PM local time (11:30 AM EDT)
Weather stage 2 Tour of the Basque Country 2025 again
There is nothing to complain about with these riders. On Tuesday, there will be hardly any wind, the sun will shine all day, and it will be 22 degrees Celsius in the north of Spain.
Favorites stage 2 Tour of the Basque Country 2025
When we look over the list of participants in the Tour of the Basque Country, we only see one real pure sprinter named 'Pocket Rocket' Caleb Ewan. The Australian, who currently rides for INEOS Grenadiers, won his first race for his new team in the cycling week of Coppi and Bartali and, with the support of Axel Laurance and others, could now go for his first WorldTour race.
Visma | Lease a Bike has Axel Zingle in its ranks, and he is also a fast rider. The Frenchman has finished in the top ten several times in Paris-Nice, but can he beat Ewan on speed alone? The same goes for other fast guys. For example, Ethan Hayter of Soudal Quick-Step can continue to build on a good sprint on day two after his good time trial.
The Spanish Pro Continental teams also have fast guys. Jon Aberasturi (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Iuri Leitao (Caja Rural), Eric Antonio Fagundez (Burgos-BH), and Pau Miquel (Equipo Kern Pharma) can all sprint fast, as can Jon Barrenetxea of the WorldTour team Movistar.
It is also possible that Thibau Nys will show off his fast legs on behalf of Lidl-Trek. Other riders in this category of men who can sprint fast after a tough race are Robert Stannard (Bahrain Victorious), Alex Aranburu (Cofidis), Victor Lafay (Decathlon AG2R), Anders Foldager (Jayco AlUla), Roger Adria (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), Ide Schelling (XDS-Astana) and Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor).
Favorites in stage 2 Tour of the Basque Country 2025, according to IDLProCycling.com
Top favorites: Caleb Ewan (INEOS Grenadiers) and Axel Zingle (Visma | Lease a Bike)
Outsiders: Ethan Hayter (Soudal Quick-Step), Thibau Nys (Lidl-Trek), Jon Aberasturi (Euskaltel-Euskadi) and Pau Miquel (Equipo Kern Pharma)
Long shots: Axel Laurance (INEOS Grenadiers), Robert Stannard (Bahrain Victorious), Alex Aranburu (Cofidis), Roger Adria (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), Iuri Leitao (Caja Rural), Anders Foldager (Jayco AlUla), Jon Barrenetxea (Movistar), Ide Schelling (XDS-Astana), Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor) and Eric Antonio Fagundez (Burgos-BH)
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Latest Comments
- Such negative comments that are truly inappropriate and actually ridiculous. He sounds like an old man, bitter that he can't race anymore. Why can't he just be gracious? Or just shut up. Instead of howling for attention, in such a rude manner. Must be Dementia creeping in. We are all living in the Now. Records are there, and some are being broken, some are unapproachable. If he doesn't like it, and it makes him sick, maybe he ought start watching some other sport. Don't want the old mans health to be upset.
reemmo031-03-2025 - Roger De Vlaeminck inspires me to create a new beer: "Bitter Old Twat Belgian".JackInhof31-03-2025
- Shoot, I'll ride it for 1/10 of what his pay for that day is😅Veganpotter30-03-2025
- What is this? The Lance Armstrong daily cheaters channel? I could care less about Johan and Lance the seven times cheater. Greg Lemond was right all along, Why don't you write about that instead of these two knuckleheads.velodrone28-03-2025
- Are we all doomed to hear from Lance Armstrong and Johan bruneel until the end of time? It's not enough the stain they left on cycling? Do we have to see that shadow forever?bigyakman26-03-2025
- I am not sure if it is the hardest to win. In Flanders and Roubaix well before the finish the Peleton will be decimated and the race will normally be won by the best rider of the day or maybe 2nd or 3rd in case of a mechanical or unlucky break especially in case of Roubaix. In San Remo just before the finish there will still be several riders in contention and they are hard to ditch. For the best riders it is a race hard to win since it is not so selective. But if you are not a top 5 rider but still a top 10 rider this race is your best change to win. You will see more Milan San remo Winners with only 1 monument win than any other monumentsJoostmehrtens19-03-2025
- "fap fap fap oh Lance oh oh OHHHHHHH" again. Does he pay you to dredge up people with nice things to say about him? He was an giant a$$hole to people. It is a fact. Whatever his contrition about the doping, he is unapologetic about being a giant a$$hole to people. (Why yes, I do only login to complain. *I* am however only a giant a$$hole to people who laud giant a$$holes.)ericjensenridesbikes25-02-2025
- Remco is still very young. And injuries can absolutely keep you from overdoing it and getting worse. The recent Remco accident didn't keep him from being able to ride a recumbent inside. Wout's knee is a different story thoughVeganpotter23-01-2025
- Van der Poel style is winning by a half a lap and leading the race from the end of the second lap.
Barnes127420-01-2025 - If she thinks talent alone will put her there she will not see many podium finishes much less a GC finish.....work as a team utilizing tactics to consistently be at the top.Germanrazor10-01-2025