Subida a Orozketa back for round two

Just like last year, the Basque road season will conclude with the semi-serious Subida a Orozketa in Iurreta, close to Durango, in early November.

The race, featuring a host of the local stars, was first staged last year, with then-reigning Vuelta a España victor Juan José Cobo emerging victorious at the end of the very short, if steep, race. Many of the riders who participated last year will be back, making for an impressive end-of-season roll call: Koldo Fernández, Beñat Intxausti, Jonathan Castroviejo, Markel Irizar, Haimar Zubeldia, Rubén Pérez, Peio Bilbao, Mikel Landa, Jorge Azanza, Igor Antón, Egoitz García, Amets Txurruka, Iván Velasco, Mikel Bizkarra and Aitor Galdós, to name but a few.

Koldo Fernández, one of the riders who came up with the idea last year, told El Pedal de Frodo that "it's all a bit of fun after a season of training and looking after yourself. It's a good time. People don't expect to see a professional bike race as it's outside our season, and people come to have fun".

New for this year is a short criterium, the 'Criterium Altar de Santapolonia', to be held after the first race. What's more, former greats Marino Lejarreta (former Vuelta a España winner and winner of stages in all three Grand Tours) and Julián Gorospe (two-time Vuelta al País Vasco champ and former Euskaltel DS of coure) are set to be on site, but perhaps in slightly different outfits than the ones on the picture above.

As far as I can tell by the pair's jerseys, this pic has to be from the 1983 edition of the Vuelta a España. Lejarreta, riding in the characteristic blue of Alfa Lum, finished second to Bernard Hinault in that race, and took out three stages along the way. This one, I reckon, is the marathon-like stage six, taking in 235 kilometres from La Pobla de Lillet to Viella. As you can see, Lejarreta pipped Gorospe, and the not too unfamiliar Perico Delgado came in three seconds further back to round off the podium.

Have a few spare minutes? You could do worse than check out the YouTube recap of the stage below:



Photo: www.somosche.com