The Tour of the Basque Country (Spanish: Vuelta Ciclista al País Vasco, Basque: Euskal Herriko txirrindulari itzulia) is an annual cycling stage race held in the Basque Country, Spain, in April.
The first race was held in 1924, but between 1935 and 1969 the race was not held. However between 1939 and 1969 similar races were organised. The race is mentioned and described in Ernest Hemingway's novel The Sun Also Rises. It is one of 24 races that make up the UCI World Ranking calendar.
The first winner was Francis Pélissier from France. The first winner of the 'modern' Tour of the Basque Country (1969) was Jacques Anquetil. The most successful rider in the Tour of the Basque Country was José Antonio González Linares, who won the race four times in 1972, 1975, 1977 and 1978. The most recent edition (2012) was won by Spain's Samuel Sánchez.
Because the Basque Country is a mountainous area there are hardly any flat stages, and the event's winners therefore tend to be good climbers. Most climbs in the Tour of the Basque Country are not high, but often they are quite steep.
Read more about Tour Of The Basque Country: Winners
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